The Bet
by remuslives23
Summary: Can Sirius Black really get any woman he wants? James decides to put his friends' claim to the test. But has Sirius met his match? Rated M but for later chapters only.
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya all! This is my very first fic written around Sirius. Hope you like it - please review!**

**Dedicated to _Triskelesque, _seriously cool chick and fantastic writer (check out her work) who put the idea of writing for Sirius in my head.**

**WARNING: No sex until later chappies. I know! I was surprised at me too! Read it anyway...when it comes, you know it'll be hot! Some swearing in this.**

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Chapter One

The Bet

'And then, she said that it was the biggest she'd ever seen…'

Remus couldn't help it - he burst into loud, uncontrollable guffaws, his book falling unnoticed to the bed as he shook with laughter.

'Either she's blind, lying or she's never seen one before,' he said after a minute, wiping his watering eyes. 'I've seen you in the shower, Pads. It's not _that_ impressive.'

'Well, let me tell you,' Sirius retorted huffily, crossing his arms and leaning back against the bed head. 'Bridgette was _very_ impressed - she went at it like it was going to be her last meal on earth…'

'Alright!' Remus said loudly, wincing and holding up a hand to stop the flow of words. 'Enough! I _really_ don't want to hear this.'

'Don't want to hear what?' James asked as he and Peter came back into the room, handing around the armful of cakes they'd convinced the house elves to hand over before they joined the boys on Remus' bed.

'Is he telling you about his date with Bridgette?' Peter asked with a snicker, shoving half an éclair in his mouth.

'In great detail,' Remus muttered, looking at a cupcake with distaste and swapping it for a caramel slice with a thick layer of chocolate on top.

'You're all jealous,' Sirius snorted, snatching up the blue frosted cupcake Remus had discarded and gesturing violently with it. 'Jealous that every girl in this school, as well as a few of the guys, want my body.'

'They do not,' Peter argued, though a mouthful of cream. 'You aren't to everyone's taste. Mary wouldn't…' His voice trailed off when he saw the smirk on Sirius' face. 'You slept with my girlfriend?'

'No! No, we just...fooled around a bit. It was ages ago, Wormy, before you even knew she existed,' Sirius explained hastily, seeing the outraged expression on his friends' face. 'Just once…I swear. Come on, Pete. You know I'd never touch your girl.'

Peter looked somewhat mollified but glared at the black haired boy over his second éclair.

'You've never been with Lily,' James said confidently, then betrayed himself by frowning and shooting Sirius a quick glance. 'Right?'

Sirius shook his head. 'Not Lily,' he confirmed, spitting a few crumbs out as he spoke, making Remus click his tongue in disgust as they landed on his bed. 'But she doesn't really count - I haven't thought of her as a girl since you got the hots for her in Second Year.'

'I'm sure there's a girl somewhere in this school whose knickers wouldn't hit the floor at the mere sight of you, Padfoot,' Remus said as he brushed the crumbs off his blanket. James and Peter chuckled but Sirius only looked smug.

'Haven't found one yet,' he bragged, smiling that superior grin that made even the gentle Remus want to smack him around the head.

'Bet _I_ could,' James said suddenly, a dare in his tone. 'I bet you five Galleons that I could find a girl that you can't get to fall into bed with you.'

Remus and Peter laughed but Sirius looked at James, a mischievous grin beginning to form on his face.

'Five Galleons?' he mused then smiled broadly. 'Make it ten.'

'Should you be betting on whether you can get a girl to sleep with you?' Remus asked with a frown. 'Isn't that a little…sleazy?'

'Ignore Mr Perfect Prefect,' James said, holding out his hand for Sirius to shake. 'The girl of _my_ choice...'

'She's not allowed to be a cow,' Sirius said quickly, ignoring Remus' objection to his choice of words. 'It has to be someone I'd go out with and want to shag…and she has to be straight. I win if she likes girls.'

'Any other requirements, Mr Padfoot?' James asked in amusement.

Sirius thought for a second. 'No one who's got a boyfriend I'd have to chase off - I like my face the way it is. And no virgins. I do have _some _conscience.'

He glared at Remus, who'd snorted disbelievingly. James, however, was warming to his challenge and nodded.

'Deal,' he agreed. 'She has to be straight, available and experienced. No coercion or magic, Pads…she has to come hot and willing. And you aren't allowed to tell her or anyone else about the bet or you forfeit.'

'Fine,' Sirius agreed, waving his hand carelessly. 'So, 'into bed' means what exactly?'

'Sex,' James said firmly. 'Not snogging, not groping. Sex - actual sex, involving your bits going into her bits.'

Peter snorted, almost choking on his third éclair and Remus bit his lip to hold back his own laugh.

Sirius smiled confidently. 'No problem,' he said with a little shrug.

James chuckled a bit at his friends egotism. 'We'll need proof of consummation…let me think…'

'Her knickers?' Peter squeaked, his face a little pink and James grinned.

'Her knickers,' he agreed, then lifted his still outstretched hand. 'To win the ten Galleons, you have to have shagged her and bought us her knickers by the end of the last day of school before the Easter holidays. Happy, Moony? We'll still have plenty of time for study for NEWTS.'

Remus shook his head irritably, uncomfortable with the bet, but James continued.

'That gives you, what, three months, Pads? If you can't do it by then, it can't be done.'

'Deal,' Sirius agreed, shaking James' hand. 'And I won't need anywhere near three months. Who's the lucky lady?'

'All in good time, Pads,' James said with a wicked grin on his face. 'This is going to take some careful consideration. I'll let you know by dinner time tomorrow.'

Sirius shrugged and stuffed the rest of the cupcake in his mouth. It didn't matter who James picked. There wasn't a girl in this school that, after a few days of his attention, wouldn't be begging him to fuck them.

_Easiest cash I've ever made._

**_A/N: What do you think? R and R, please?_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all! Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter. James chooses the victim in this chapter and the boys learn something surprising about Remus. Cheers.**

**WARNING: As with most of my fics, swearing is frequent and probably completely unecessary but even JKR threw a couple of curses in :-)**

**BTW: I own nothing! Absolutely nothing except my children and, at the moment, I'd be willing to sever that ownership...**

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Chapter Two

The Victim

'I've chosen your prey, Pads,' James said excitedly the next evening, throwing himself on the seat next to the dark haired boy. 'Hope you've got the Galleons ready because you don't stand a chance. Not even that Casonova guy Moony told us about could crack this bird.'

Sirius looked up, a grin lighting up his face as he anticipated the challenge ahead. Remus and Peter also looked up from their dinner and waited to hear the name of the poor girl James had chosen.

* * *

James had spent the day having numerous hushed conversations with Lily Evans as he tried to find a girl that:

a) hadn't already been with Sirius (no easy feat on its own)

b) fit the very specific criteria, and

c) would be strong enough to resist the considerable charms of Sirius Black - charms that had befallen many a maiden previously.

Remus and Peter had put in their two cents worth, Remus' moral objections of the night before being pushed aside by his desire to see Sirius finally meet his match.

The man in question was becoming increasingly frustrated with whispers that stopped whenever he walked into a room. 'Thought we weren't supposed to tell anyone about the bet,' he grumbled when he saw James and his girlfriend with their heads together.

'As if I'd tell her,' James retorted. 'She'd kill me, or worse, never have sex with me again. No, I just asked a few subtle questions…'

Sirius snorted: the words 'James' and 'subtle' rarely came together in the same sentence.

* * *

'Well?' Sirius now said impatiently , tapping his fork against his plate. 'Don't keep me in suspense.'

James smiled triumphantly. 'Sarah Patterson,' he announced smugly.

All three listening boys frowned and Sirius stopped tapping, his fork falling to the table with a clatter.

'Sarah Patterson?' Peter said a little too loudly, then lowered his voice when the other boys shushed him. '_Ice Princess_?'

James nodded, still grinning maniacally and, as one, all four boys looked over at the Ravenclaw table, searching for the strawberry blonde who was to be the unwitting target of Sirius' attentions.

Their eyes fell on her at the same moment. The pretty Seventh Year was talking to another girl as she ate, smiling at something she'd said. James was chuckling now, Peter looked doubtful, Sirius thoughtful and Remus, strangely, was a little flushed with a small smile playing around his lips.

'Sarah Patterson? I don't know, Prongs,' Sirius murmured, staring at the unsuspecting girl. 'She's so cold to blokes…I've always thought she liked girls.'

'She doesn't like girls,' Remus mumbled and Peter and James twisted back to look curiously at the werewolf, who was turning a brilliant shade of red.

'If she's not gay, she's probably a virgin,' Sirius continued, not listening to Remus as he watched Sarah eat. 'You'd get frostbite on your dick if you put it anywhere near her...'

'She's not a virgin,' Remus said again and this time, the words got through.

Sirius frowned, turning around to look appraisingly at the blushing boy.

'Pray tell, Mr Moony. How is it that you have knowledge about the state of the Ice Princess' virginity or lack thereof?' he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Remus looked down at his plate. 'Cozwiwndowtafetims,' he mumbled incoherently and James grinned.

'What was that, Moony?' he asked and Remus raised his head with a loud sigh.

'Because we went out a few times,' he said more clearly.

There was a moment of stunned silence then James hooted while Peter and Sirius grinned broadly.

'It was only a couple of dates during the Easter holidays last year. We live near each other and we ran into each other at the library. We went for a coffee then to the movies that night. It wasn't anything serious…' Remus began but James cut in.

'But it got far enough that you thought you should ask if she was a virgin?' he said with a disbelieving expression. 'Or do you know first hand that she's no longer an innocent?'

Remus closed his eyes and muttered, 'I asked when things went…further,' he admitted, his face burning now as the other three boys burst into noisy laughter.

'Shh!' he hissed at them, seeing faces turn towards them, including Sarahs'. She gave them a disdainful look then turned back to continue her conversation.

'So did you and her…?' Peter asked wondrously, staring at the brown haired boy as if he'd never seen him before.

'No,' Remus said quickly. 'No, we didn't. We decided we were better off leaving things as they were.'

'But you got close?' James asked and Remus groaned.

'Yeah, I guess,' he mumbled.

'How close?' Peter demanded and the werewolf looked pained.

'For God's sake,' he growled, looking around to ensure no one was nearby. He pulled out his wand and cast a Muffliato spell so no one would hear his words.

'We just fooled around,' he continued. 'After the movies, we went back to her place - her dad was out. We just talked for a while then...'

He shrugged as if to say 'one thing led to another' but then sighed and continued when the looks on their faces made it clear that they weren't going to let him get away with that. 'We didn't have sex…we snogged for a while then...some clothes may have fallen off and we just... touched a bit and we both, you know…'

He made a flapping gesture with his hand then, when they grinned at him, said in exasperation, 'Christ, don't make me say it!'

Peter bounced up and down in his seat a little. 'Is she hot?' he asked excitedly, face pink. 'Under those robes?'

Remus tried to look annoyed but the smile that spread across his face ruined the effect. 'Yeah,' he said with a little chuckle. 'Yeah, she is.'

Peter and James laughed and looked impressed. 'Never knew you had it in you, Moony,' James said with almost fatherly pride. 'Why didn't you tell us you'd almost cracked the ice princess?'

'To avoid this very conversation,' he muttered, shoving his now cold potatoes in his mouth.

'Well, Padfoot?' James said, looking at the boy next to him. 'Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get into the Ice Princess' knickers then steal them. What do you think? Can you finish what Moony started?'

Remus choked a little on his potatoes and reached for his drink.

Sirius had been silent during the inquisition and was now looking at Remus contemplatively.

'I accept the assignment. The Ice Princess it is. And Moony…you and your secret sex life are going to come in handy,' he said with a growing smile. 'You, my furry friend, are going to tell me exactly how one even comes _close_ to getting into Sarah Patterson's pants.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the reviews for the first couple of chapters. Very much appreciated, guys. Kisses for everyone!**

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Chapter Three

The Rejection

'What's taking you so long?' complained James, leaning towards Sirius as they tried to tune out Professor McGonagall's voice. 'It's been a week and you've not done anything.'

'No rush, mate,' Sirius mumbled back. 'I can't just walk up to her and say, _Hi Sarah. We've barely spoken two words to each other for the last six years but now I'd really like you to drop your knickers for me so I can win ten Galleons._ This requires a plan, Prongs, and that takes time.'

James let out a snort of laughter then they sat up straight and tried to look attentive as the Professor's steely eyes turned to them. They pretended to take careful notes, James really scribbling a message to Peter to pass on what Sirius had just said while Sirius doodled on his parchment, making a mental note to get Remus to tell him what this class was about later.

His gaze flicked up and over to where Sarah was sitting with a fellow Ravenclaw. She seemed to be listening closely to the teacher, her head cocked a little to the side. He let his eyes move over her features as they had several times over the past week.

She was pretty - thick, wavy, strawberry blonde hair that fell past her shoulders when she didn't have it up, eyes the colour of the sky on a clear day, fantastic cheekbones and a few freckles spread across her straight nose. He had noticed that she got a crease between her eyebrows when she was concentrating, and that she fiddled absently with the small gold earring in her right ear when she was listening to the teacher.

A lock of hair fell across her cheek as he watched and she pushed it away impatiently, lifting her arms to undo her hair clip. She shook her hair out, combing her fingers through it, then pulled it back again and refastened the clip. Sirius' gaze dropped, admiring her chest as she fiddled with her hair. He smirked a little. It was difficult to tell what her body looked like under the robes she was almost never without, but the curve of her breasts was accentuated while her arms were raised, the cloth pulling tight over them. He'd always thought that more than a handful was a waste when it came to a woman's chest (he was an ass man himself) but there was something very appealing about a...err, more generous endowment.

_I wonder why I've never thought to ask her out. _

As she lowered her arms, she turned and caught him watching her. He smiled one of his most charming smiles, but she shot him a dismissive glare then turned her attention back to McGonagall.

_Ah!_ That's _why I've never asked her out._

Sarah had never made her dislike for the loud, disruptive Marauders a secret, and usually avoided them completely when simply ignoring them didn't work. He'd been watching her pretty closely over the past week and she was friendly enough to everyone else. She wasn't chatty or giggly like most other girls he knew but she was polite and nice enough to the other students. Obviously her distaste was saved for Sirius and his friends alone.

_Although that disdain didn't stretch to Remus apparently._

He glanced over at his friend, watching him scratch his nose with his quill. Moony did seem to have a lot of friends in other houses. He was so polite to everyone and a genuinely nice guy - you really couldn't help but like him. Sirius had been surprised by his admission that he and Sarah had come close to going all the way; not so surprised by the fact that the werewolf had then refused to help him get Sarah to sleep with him.

'I know you think she's cold, but she's not - she just doesn't tolerate fools. She's a nice girl, Pads,' he'd said irritably. 'And I'm not going to set her up like this. Find another accomplice.'

He knew his friend too well to think he'd change his mind and had set about formulating a game plan on his own.

There was a Hogsmeade weekend coming up in a little over a week, just before the Christmas holidays, and he was going to ask her to go with him. During this past week, it may have looked as though he was doing nothing but in truth, he was subtly getting her to notice him.

Watching her like he just had, not looking away when she caught him, but smiling his most irresistible smile; manoeuvring himself closer to her when they moved from class to class; and he had 'accidentally' run into her a couple of times, touching her arm and asking if she was ok.

Sarah had looked puzzled the second time this happened. She was a clever girl - Ravenclaw, after all - and they'd had more contact over the past week than they had for the last six years. She was starting to pick up on his interest and that meant it was time to make his move.

* * *

The bell rang and there was a rush to pack up and leave the classroom. James was waiting for Sirius, who seemed to be taking an inordinate length of time to put his books away.

'Just go,' he said to his best friend, who looked surprised. 'I'll catch up.'

He raised his eyebrows and James got the unspoken message, grinning and following Peter and Remus out the door. Sirius hung about as McGonagall and Sarah spoke quietly, the older woman smiling and patting the blonde on the shoulder. Sarah turned and left and Sirius quickly followed.

He stayed a safe distance behind and then, when the corridor was almost deserted, he pulled out his wand and cast a spell, severing the strap of her bag. It fell to the ground with a heavy thunk and Sarah turned and frowned. She knelt down and grabbed a couple of books that had fallen out, putting them back into the bag before she checked the strap.

'Here,' Sirius said, crouching down next to her and holding out another book she'd overlooked.

She looked up and her grateful smile faded a little when she saw the good samaritan was Sirius.

'Thanks,' she mumbled, taking the book off him and shoving it into her bag.

'No problem,' he replied, watching as she pulled her wand out and repaired the broken strap.

She looked up at him again with a slight frown, confused as to why he was still there.

'Did you want something?' she asked and he smiled his most dazzling smile.

'I was wondering if you'd come to Hogsmeade next weekend with me,' he told her, pleased to see that she seemed speechless, her blue eyes widening.

_This is not even going to be a challenge. Hmm, what am I going to spend James' money on?_

* * *

Sarah stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock.

_Did he just ask me out?_

Too stunned for a moment to do or say anything, she thought about his stranger than usual behaviour over the last few days. In six years, she could count the number of times they'd had contact on one hand but this week, every time she turned around, he was there. She had felt his piercing grey eyes on her in class and during meals then, when she turned around, he smiled that irritatingly smug smirk that made her want to slap him. Hard.

_I probably should have seen this coming. He's been through every other girl in school and now it's my turn to suffer his attention._

Recovering from her surprise, she gave him what she hoped was a patronising smile. 'Hogsmeade? With you?' she said with a raised eyebrow.

She stood up, Sirius copying her. 'I don't think so, Black. Not in _this_ lifetime.'

She heaved the bag over her shoulder and spun around, walking quickly away from him.

* * *

Sirius was genuinely startled by her rejection - standing and staring as she walked down the corridor.

_Shit._

He frowned, shifting to lean against the wall. Although she'd never given him the time of day, he hadn't been expecting that. He was Sirius Black. He could have any girl he set his mind on. He wasn't used to hearing a flat out, no chance in hell, I'd rather kiss the giant squid "no" and he didn't like it. Not one bit.

He narrowed his eyes and pushed himself off the wall, walking in the same direction as Sarah had disappeared. His pride had taken a bit of a hit - but he wasn't out yet. No sir, Sarah's rejection had just made him more determined that he was going to win.

_It just might take a little longer than I anticipated._


	4. Chapter 4

**Cheers to all for your lovely reviews. Hmm, seems a lot of you are very happy Sirius experienced rejection last chappie. And you accuse me of being EVIL! :-)**

**We learn more about the Ice Princess this chappie and Pads gets shot down again.**

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Chapter Four

The Ice Princess

'I mean, what the hell is he playing at?' Sarah said to her room mate, Kate, spinning around to look at her. '_Well_? You've gone out with him. How does his tiny brain work?'

Kate shrugged and lay back on her bed. 'Who knows?' she said, covering a yawn with her hand. 'I wouldn't say a quick grope in the toilets two years ago is 'going out' - I really don't know him at all. Maybe he's really interested in you, Sar…surely he can't be up to something all the time.'

Sarah frowned deeply. 'This is Sirius Black we're talking about,' she muttered as she sat down on the edge of the bed. 'There's _always_ an ulterior motive.'

Kate mumbled something unintelligible as her eyes closed but Sarah was still too wound up to sleep. She didn't want to admit it but Sirius had rattled her today. It had been a while since a guy paid any attention to her. Actually, the last member of the opposite sex that showed an interest had been Sirius' friend, Remus and that had been cut short when they realised that, while they enjoyed each other's company and the petting was nice, there were no real sparks between them where it mattered.

_Yet again._

She sighed and stood up, pulling on her previously discarded clothing. She couldn't sleep and she'd only wake the others up if she stayed in here. Luckily, she was a prefect so she could go for a walk without getting into trouble for being out after curfew. She'd just say she was on patrol if she was seen. She let herself out of the Common Room and wandered through the corridors aimlessly as she thought.

Boys had never been comfortable approaching her. She knew she could come across as cold sometimes but it was insecurity rather than frigidity that made her standoffish.

Boys baffled her. They acted like such... idiots sometimes and the way their minds worked - it defied reason. Sarah hated the showy displays of bravado that teenaged boys were famous for, which was a primary reason Sirius and his little bunch of Marauder buddies irritated her so. They embodied everything she loathed in the male of the species - they were attention seeking, noise making disruptions to her life and learning.

Well, not _all_ of them - Remus was alright and she got the feeling Peter Pettigrew was a little scared of her, but James Potter and Sirius Black…

'Jerks,' she mumbled to herself as she walked up a set of stairs.

James was a complete berk - self proclaimed Quidditch King who took any opportunity to big note himself, showing off for Lily Evans, who'd finally cracked and agreed to go out with him.

'Poor girl,' Sarah said then felt a rush of cold air.

She shivered and looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time. She had wandered up to one of the towers, Astronomy Tower by the looks of the abandoned telescopes. Lighting her wand, she checked her watch. It was nearly midnight. Class would have finished not long ago. She walked over and peered through a lens, looking at the stars up close.

'Fucking Sirius,' she mumbled, realising which constellation she was looking at. 'I can't escape him.'

She leaned back on the chair, knocking the telescope so it was no longer pointed at Canis Majora.

_Sirius, goddamn, Black. _

James Potter annoyed her, but _everything _about Sirius seemed to rub her the wrong way. His smug arrogance, his irritating self confidence, his complete disregard for the rights of others to go through their school year without being pranked, his constant striving to be the centre of the universe and all the while with that superior smirk stuck on his face.

But there was something else… something that bothered her more than anything else.

She was attracted to him.

He was everything she hated in the opposite sex but she wanted him in a way she'd never wanted anyone before.

It absolutely infuriated her that the only man who set her on fire was such an ass but there was nothing she could do about it. She'd felt this way since fourth year and no matter what she tried, he still got under her skin; tied her tongue into knots. Trying to hide the way she felt was pretty easy. They weren't in the same house, didn't have the same friends, were only in a handful of classes together and he either didn't seem to know she existed or was put off by her reputation as a cold fish.

Sarah knew her nickname was 'Ice Princess'; she even knew who'd started it - Martin Jones. She went out with the older boy once in Fifth Year and things hadn't gone the way he had hoped. He retaliated against her reluctance to give him the hand job he'd wanted by telling all and sundry that she was 'a fucking iceberg'.

Which she wasn't. At least, she didn't think she was. True, she'd never gone out with any guy that she wanted to see again and, sure, she'd lost her virginity to get it over and done with rather than because of the overwhelming lust for a boy that she hadn't seen since. But she didn't _think_ she was frigid - surely the heat that almost melted her when she laid eyes on Sirius was proof enough that someone had what it took to set her alight.

'Why the hell does it have to be him though?' she groaned then jumped when a voice behind her said, 'Excuse me?'

She twisted in her seat and saw the one person in the world she hadn't wanted to stumble across.

'You're out of bed after hours, Black,' she said, turning away from him and crossing her arms defensively across her chest as she glared up at the heavens.

_Lord, why are you punishing me like this?_

'I just had Astronomy,' he explained, walking past her and picking up a book that had been hidden in the shadows. 'I left my text book here. It looks like rain so I thought I'd better come back for it.'

Sarah said nothing - just stared up at the sky.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. 'What are you doing out of bed?' he asked, leaning against the stone wall of the tower. 'Rules apply to prefects as well.'

'I really don't think it's any of your business what I'm doing,' she said, refusing to look over at him. 'Now, go back to your room before I take points from Gryffindor.'

He didn't move, just stood there staring at her. Sarah couldn't help it - her eyes moved of their own volition, meeting his curious grey orbs.

'You don't think too much of me, do you?' he said suddenly and she frowned, tearing her gaze away from him.

'Unlike most of the female population of this school,' she retorted as she stood up. 'I don't actually spend any time at all thinking of you, Black.'

She turned around to walk down the stone stairs but before she left she heard his softly spoken words.

'Well, we'll have to do something to change that, won't we?'


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to all those who reviewed last chappie. And to those who've popped this on their favourites or alerts. I'd love to hear from you (I'm shameless, I tell you, in the quest for reviews!)**

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Chapter Five

The Pest

Sirius, much to Sarah's dismay, seemed to have been encouraged rather than dissuaded by their short but terse conversation on the Astronomy Tower. He greeted her like she was a long lost friend every morning, embarrassing her so thoroughly that she'd stopped eating in the hall, convincing her friends to bring her toast to eat while she waited outside her first class. He had also taken to falling in beside her as they walked to the few classes they shared, not put off at all by the fact she completely ignored him. She could feel him watching her during the meals she _had_ to attend and she was alarmed to find him sitting at the desk next to her in class one day instead of his usual seat towards the back of the room.

His nearness during class was distracting. Pheromones seemed to just radiate from him - making her own body react in a way that made her squirm in her seat, and hearing his soft, smooth voice (which she did quite often since he insisted on talking _all_ through class) had a disturbing effect on her respiratory system. To her dismay and Professor McGonagall's surprise, she had received an 'E' on her last essay. Her work rarely fell below 'O' and she held Black completely responsible for her lack of concentration.

Her friends were impressed by his efforts to gain her favour and began to push her to respond to his attention but Sarah refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

'I'm his latest plaything,' she told Kate when she commented on the boy's sudden devotion. 'Once he realises his charm won't work on me, he'll find another victim to torment.'

But she was starting to wonder if her disinterest was actually spurring him on. It certainly seemed that the more she rejected his advances, the more ardent they became.

* * *

She came into Transfiguration a week after he'd asked her out, to find a small flower on her chair. It was a delicate, fragrant orchid that grew in one of the Herbology greenhouses and it just happened to be one of her favourite flowers.

_Damn him to hell!_

Sarah frowned and her eyes immediately turned to Sirius who smiled and said softly, 'The traditional response when someone gives you a gift is to say thank you.'

She hesitated a moment before clenching her jaw and picking up the bloom, putting it on the desk in front of him.

'No thank you,' she said quietly, not wanting to embarrass him but needing to maintain her aloofness or she'd melt into a puddle at his feet.

It was a pity he was such a jerk because that was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.

But by the end of the day, she had to admit that his presence was wearing her down, sending her hormones into a frenzy, and it was getting very difficult to hide the effect he had on her. She'd spent the last few nights relieving her frustration herself, her lip bruised from constantly biting it to stop her moans waking the others as she tried to ease the ache he'd created in her heated body.

_God, he makes me hot._

* * *

She finally reached the end of her tether when, on the day of the Hogsmeade visit, he found her as she searched through stacks of novels in the bookstore.

'Hi,' he said, seeing her jump before she spun around.

'Oh, for Christs' sake!' she snapped, losing her temper, and she saw him hide a smile.

'It really _would_ have been easier for both of us if you'd just said yes when I asked you out,' he said mildly, moving closer.

She automatically took a step backwards and stumbled into a stack of books. A strong hand on her arm stopped her falling and she suddenly found herself being held against a very firm chest.

'Oops,' he said softly, not removing his hand.

His eyes dropped to her lips, still a little swollen after she'd clamped her teeth down hard to try and stop her loud moan as she bought herself to a breath taking orgasm this morning - after a night of dreaming about this very man.

'You shouldn't bite your lip,' he admonished gently, his free hand rising to cup her face as his thumb ran lightly over her sensitive bottom lip. 'You've bruised it.'

There was no way he couldn't have felt the powerful shudder that shook her whole body at his unexpectedly tender touch, any more than she could avoid feeling the hard poke of an unmistakeable erection into her hip as he pressed himself against her. As his face got closer and his warm breath teased the skin on her cheek, she came to her senses and got her hands between them. Pushing him away, she let out the breath she'd been holding.

'What the hell is wrong with you?' she spat, wiping her mouth to try and erase the tingling sensation his thumb had caused. 'You've been through all the other girls and now it's my turn to have the Sirius Black experience? What gives you the right to molest me? Are you really so arrogant you believe you can just grope random girls and there'll be no repercussions?'

'Only when those random girls fancy the hell out of me,' he retorted, peering at her intently.

* * *

She might act cold and resistant but she couldn't hide her physical reaction to him. She had trembled when he touched her; her breathing had quickened and she was flushed.

She fancied him.

He tried hard to hide his grin. This was working better than he'd hoped. She'd be in his bed before they went on holidays the next evening and he'd not only be ten Galleons richer but, given her extreme response to his quite innocent touch, very satisfied as well.

* * *

Sarah saw the triumphant gleam in his eyes and felt heat that had nothing to do with desire burst into life inside her.

'You are _such_ a conceited _prick,_' she whispered harshly, walking towards him. 'You think I'm going to grovel at your feet because you said hello? That my knickers are going to just fall off because you looked at me? That I'm going to beg you to fuck me up against these stacks because you put a pretty weed on my chair?'

Sirius looked a bit taken aback by her anger and just stared at her with an open mouth as she continued to hiss at him.

'If you think I'm going to be laying one finger on you, you are sadly mistaken, Black. I'm not one of your simpering fan girls. _I_ have standards.'

She walked past him then twisted back around to glare at him. 'And if you _ever _put a hand on me again, you won't get it back.'

Her strawberry blonde hair sparked red in the sunlight as she stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Sirius' knees trembled and he felt a little weak as he leant back against a bookshelf. No one had EVER spoken to him like that before. No one had ever not only refused him but completely insulted and snubbed him like that before.

And no one had ever made him quite this hard or hot before.

_FUCK, I have got to get her into my bed. _

This wasn't about the bet with James anymore. This was purely personal. He'd been rejected by a woman who had the serious hots for him. This didn't happen to him. He wasn't going to let this happen to him.

He wanted Sarah Patterson.

Bad.

_And I _will_ have her. If it kills me._


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for the reviews and alerts for last chapter guys! Cheers and I hope you enjoy this update. If you do, push the button and review, duckies! Go ahead, make my day! **

* * *

Chapter Six

The Kiss Interrupted

'So you've gotten absolutely nowhere?' James gasped once he'd finished laughing.

His room mates had just finished their breakfast and were still chuckling after Sirius had told them about what happened at the book store yesterday.

'I wouldn't say _nowhere_,' Sirius said defensively. 'You didn't see the look on her face. She wants me bad.'

James started to laugh again, setting Peter off as well.

'Yeah, she wants you so bad she threatened to dismember you if you touched her again,' Remus said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

'So she's playing hard to get,' Sirius retorted, standing up and grabbing his coat. 'Makes the payoff even sweeter.'

'Just face it Padfoot,' Peter said through his laughter. 'You've finally met the girl you can't crack. May as well give James his money now.'

'My ass!' Sirius growled as he pulled his jacket on. 'This isn't about the bet now. This is about showing Sarah Patterson that no one rejects Sirius Black. I am going to make that girl _beg_ for me.'

His words made the three boys collapse onto the bed in a fresh wave of laughter. Sirius glared at them all then spun on his heel and stalked to the door.

'Wh...where are you g...going?' James spluttered breathlessly as the dark haired boy walked across the room.

'A walk,' he called back. 'Figure out the next part of the plan.'

He heard more laughter and shook his head. 'You'd think a blokes' mates would be more bloody supportive,' he muttered, leaving the Common Room and walking down to Entry Hall.

* * *

After their confrontation yesterday, Sirius had been so worked up he'd gone back to the castle and spent the rest of the day fantasising about how hot Sarah was going to be in bed, which made his cock even harder than it had been in the store. He considered going and finding that Hufflepuff Sixth Year that had been panting for him for months and finally give her what she'd been begging for, but he was far too turned on to wait.

Complaining a little to himself about having to relieve his own body instead of finding a eager partner to do it for him, he grasped his erection and stroked for mere seconds, his quick, explosive release startling him.

_Fuck, she makes me hot._

* * *

Breakfast was almost finished and when he looked into the Dining Hall he was pleased to see the person he'd hoped to find. He walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down next to Sarah. She'd just showered, he realised as he smelled the fresh, clean scent of soap, and her hair was a little damp still and curling at the ends. She was giggling at something the girl across from her had said and he enjoyed the sound of her laughter.

_Is it just my imagination or is she getting hotter by the day?_

'Morning,' he said softly and she turned sharply towards him.

'Are you lost?' she asked with a frown and he smiled.

'Nope,' he said, reaching for a piece of toast. 'Just looking for company.'

Her frown deepened and she said, 'I'm sure you're not ever wanting for _willing_ companionship, Black. I'll leave you to your fan club.'

She stood up and climbed over the bench seat, walking towards the exit. Sirius jumped up and followed her, falling in beside her.

'So what are we doing today?' he asked. 'There's some time before we leave…'

Sarah stopped abruptly. '_We_ are not doing anything because there is no 'we',' she told him, hands on her hips. '_I_ am going back to my common room and I am going alone. I don't much care what you get up to.'

Sarah turned and walked up the stairs, frustrated when he came up alongside her again. Shaking her head, she quickened her steps and decided to ignore him.

* * *

Easier said than done - Sirius chattering to her about their shared classes until they reached the entrance to Ravenclaw common room.

'What exactly do you want?' she asked suddenly, breaking her silence. 'Why won't you leave me alone?'

'I want to get to know you better,' Sirius said, shifting so his body was closer to hers. 'I won't leave you alone because I think you like me too.'

'Have I ever given you the impression I'd be interested in getting to know you, Black?' she asked and he pouted.

'Have you forgotten our interlude in the book shop yesterday where you were shaking in my arms?' he said, mock offended. 'I've never been so insulted…'

'Yeah, I bet you haven't,' she muttered then turned to the entrance.

He stopped her with a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm.

'Look, Sarah,' he said softly. 'I'm sorry I came on so strong but you can't deny your reaction yesterday. You're as attracted to me as I am to you.'

Her face turned pink and she pulled away from him. 'I'm not a toy for you to play with then discard when you're bored, Black,' she hissed. 'I don't get involved with immature little boys whose idea of a relationship is shagging the same girl twice.'

'Kiss me,' he said abruptly with a little smile.

'Piss off,' she mumbled but he moved to block her way.

'Kiss me and if you feel nothing, I'll leave you alone,' he promised and he saw that she was tempted.

* * *

Sarah bit her lip, considering what he said.

_One kiss. That's it. One kiss and he'll leave me alone and I can get back to trying to pretend he doesn't exist_.

* * *

'Come on, Sar,' he said wheedlingly, and his use of the familiar nickname made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. 'One little, bitsy kiss. You're not scared it'll prove you wrong are you?'

* * *

That was exactly what she was bloody scared of. She didn't want this man to know how badly he got under her skin.

_God, I'll never hear the end of it if he knows exactly how hot he makes me._

* * *

Sirius could see her indecision and decided to hit her where he suspected it would hurt the most - her pride.

'What are you waiting for?' he asked quietly. 'Oh, that's right. You're a Ravenclaw. All brain, no guts.'

He barely had time to draw breath before her lips were planted hard on his. He didn't have time to even register how it felt before she was gone again, glaring at him through her, now dark, blue eyes.

'Happy now?' she spat, angry with both him and herself for allowing his jibes to get to her. 'I felt nothing. Now leave me alone.'

Sirius grabbed her arm as she turned and pulled her back against him, tiring of the game for the moment.

'That wasn't a kiss,' he murmured then his hands cupped her face as his lips met hers.

_Holy Shit!_

* * *

The heat that seared through him made his knees shake and blood pumped through his veins, heading south at a cracking speed. Sarah tried to pull away but he held her close, feeling her resistance fade as his lips parted, catching that delicious looking bottom lip of hers between his and, wouldn't you know it, it tasted just as good as he imagined it would.

Sarah made a little noise in her throat and he shifted, pressing his body against hers as he flicked his tongue over her lip, seeking permission to enter her mouth. She gasped a little and he took that as a 'go'.

* * *

Sarah felt herself melting as his tongue stroked over hers, insistently teasing until it drew a response from her own. She heard his moan as her tongue tentatively swept over his and a wave of pure lust slammed into her.

The kiss deepened as their control snapped and his tongue plundered her mouth, one hand sliding around to sink into her hair, the other falling to her lower back, pulling her hips tight against his. Sarah could feel his arousal, hot and hard, and tried desperately not to rub up against him. Her hands moved to his chest and she grasped his shirt, fisting the cloth as she tried to keep herself upright.

* * *

'Oh, sorry!'

The voice broke them apart and they saw a couple of Fifth Years staring at them, trying to hide their laughter.

'Get lost,' Sirius growled and they lost their smiles when they saw his pissed off face, quickly taking off down the hall.

Sarah grabbed the door to the common room before it could close, face burning.

_What did I just do?_

It was bad enough Sirius had won - drawing the response he wanted from her - but by the end of the day, the whole school would know they'd been kissing and she would be just another notch on the Gryffindor boy's belt. She felt anger rising inside her - at the both of them.

'Sarah?' he asked and she glanced over at him, surprised by what she saw on his flushed face. He looked…confused, uncertain and…incredibly hot.

'I'm…' She stopped, clearing her throat when she heard her raspy voice.

'That was a mistake,' she said, starting again.

'The hell it was!' he exclaimed, frowning at her. 'The only thing wrong with that was that it took so damn long to happen. Don't you dare tell me you felt nothing, Sarah.'

'I don't think anyone would argue that you're not a good kisser, Black,' she hissed back, anger aimed solely at him now. 'You've certainly had enough practice. But just because I responded to a decent kiss doesn't mean I fancy you. You're a spoilt brat and there is nothing about you that I could ever like or respect. Now, leave me alone or I'll go to Dumbledore and complain.'

She saw the hurt flash across his face before he covered it with an arrogant smirk. 'You don't have to like or respect me to want me,' he told her. 'And you want me, Ice Princess.'

Sarah responded by smacking him across the face sharply then stepping into the safety of the Ravenclaw common room, slamming the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews for last chapter guys. Glad you all liked Sirius getting smacked down. :-)**

**Realised that in the two fics I've got going right now, both my girls smacked someone in the face last night - Sarah slapped Sirius and Ashlin smashed Bellatrix in the nose (ohh, want to read more? Go to 'Things Worth Dying For' - yes, that _was_ a completely blatant hint)**

* * *

Chapter Seven

The Apology

Christmas came and went and classes began again. Sirius had backed off, leaving Sarah to her own devices and she was startled to realise she missed his constant, annoying presence. He wouldn't look at her when they were in the same class and had moved back to his usual seat. Although she still caught him looking at her occasionally, he didn't approach her, just looked away when their eyes met.

_This is what I wanted. I wanted him to leave me alone._

So why did she feel like she'd done something awful?

* * *

It was now half way through January and she was shivering in the library, trying to concentrate on her Defence notes rather than how damn cold it was.

_Would it kill them to organise some heating?_

'Hi, Sarah,' a familiar voice said and she looked up and smiled at Remus Lupin.

'Hi,' she murmured, moving her books when he sat down next to her. 'Defence?'

'Transfiguration,' he said, holding up the textbook. 'Sirius is supposed to be studying with me but…' He shrugged. 'Apparently watching James show off for Lily is far more interesting than the theory behind Human Transfiguration.'

'Sirius studies?' she asked sceptically. 'I thought you did all the thinking for that lot.'

Remus smiled but shook his head. 'It kills me to admit this, and I'll deny I ever said it if you tell anyone, but he's a pretty smart guy. Naturally talented.'

Sarah raised an eyebrow and mumbled, 'So I've heard,' before looking back down at her book.

They studied quietly for several minutes then Remus broke the silence.

'He, um, told me what you said to him,' he said softly and she lifted her head, a puzzled expression on her face. 'Sirius, I mean.'

'What did I say to him?' she said, frowning. She hadn't spoken to Sirius in weeks.

'That he was a spoilt brat,' he reminded her gently. 'That there was nothing about him you could like or respect.'

Sarah's frowned deepened and she sat back. 'What about it?' she asked, refusing to apologise for her words (which now sounded unreasonably harsh - even to her ears). 'I'm not going to say sorry to him, if that's what you want. Remus, he'd been practically stalking me…'

'Sirius isn't a bad guy,' he interrupted, turning towards her. 'He can be impulsive and thoughtless but…he wouldn't hurt a fly.'

'I know several girls who'd probably like to challenge that statement, Remus,' she retorted and he grimaced.

'Yeah, I know,' he admitted. 'He doesn't treat girls very well sometimes but he doesn't ever set out to hurt anyone. Sarah, he'd kill me if he knew I was telling you this but I think you need to know something. You called him a spoilt brat - he's not. He's had a pretty hard home life - you know he doesn't live with his family?'

Sarah shook her head, listening attentively despite herself. 'He left under pretty bad terms,' he continued. 'They treated him very badly but in spite of that, it really hurt him when they disowned him.'

'His parent's disowned him?' she said, horrified when Remus nodded.

'He refused to live the way they do - you know they're big supporters of the Dark Arts?'

'I've heard the rumours,' she murmured, looking down at her text book. _Now_ she felt guilty. 'He got his own place just before we came back to school - he was staying with James last year.'

He sighed. 'What you said…he tried to laugh it off but I could see it upset him. He's tried so hard to leave his family's reputation behind and…well, it hurt him.'

Sarah looked pained and blinked. She felt ashamed of herself. She hadn't realised that the seemingly privileged boy had been rejected by the very people who should have loved him the most.

_I know what that feels like. At least in part. God, I was such a bitch to him._

'He also told me he'd kissed you and…' Remus smiled. 'You shook him up, Sarah. I've never seen him this rattled by a girl before and I don't think he knows quite what to do about it. God, he would absolutely murder me if he knew I'd told you all of this.'

Sarah flushed and bit her lip. Maybe she hadn't imagined the confusion on his face afterward their kiss; maybe it had affected him as much as it had her.

'If I tell you something, will it get back to Sirius?' she asked and he shook his head.

'Not unless you want it to,' he assured her.

She hesitated then said, 'That kiss shook me up too. I…I hate that a guy that annoys me so thoroughly also manages to turn me on so completely.'

'You like him?' Remus asked and she sighed heavily.

'No,' she mumbled, fiddling with her quill. 'It's an attraction. That's all. But why the hell does it have to be him - he's such a pain in the ass. Why couldn't it be you? You're nice. I like _you_.'

Remus smiled absently then frowned and seemed to be debating with himself about something. After an inward struggle, he obviously decided against whatever he was going to say and he sighed, saying instead, 'He's a really great guy, Sarah. He's been a very good friend to me and he had every reason not to. Underneath all the boasting and arrogance, he feels a lot and he hurts just as easily as everyone else. If you give him a chance, I'm sure you won't regret it.'

She sighed heavily and packed her book away. 'I don't know,' she said softly. 'I don't know if he's worth taking the chance for.'

* * *

Two days later, Sarah approached Sirius as he was heading to the Quidditch Pitch for practice.

'Could I have a private word?' she asked and he looked surprised.

'I guess,' he said then waved James off.

When they were alone, he looked curiously at her. 'Should I have a cup on or something?' he asked, only half serious. 'Are you going to hit me again?'

Her cheeks flushed and she shook her head. 'No,' she mumbled, staring at the ground. 'Iwntopolgiz.'

'Excuse me?' he said and she sighed, lifting her chin.

'I want to apologize for what I said to you,' she said, gathering all her courage for what she was about to do. 'I was way out of line and…I'm sorry. Um, you freaked me out a bit - you came on pretty strong and I'm not used to guys being so…aggressive. I shouldn't have said what I said though. Or hit you.'

He looked like he was waiting for the punch line and she shrugged. 'So…that's it.'

She turned away but only got a few steps before he stopped her. 'Sarah,' he said, quickly moving to stand in front of her. 'I'm…sorry as well. I came on strong but…well, I think there's a bit of a spark between us and I'd like to get to know you better.'

'Stalking me is probably not the most effective way of doing that, Black,' she said and he smiled, making her insides quiver.

'No,' he agreed. 'Maybe we could go for a walk or meet up somewhere. We could go to Hogsmeade - Seventh Years can go whenever they like…'

She looked at him, those blue eyes doing strange things to his stomach, then she nodded, somewhat reluctantly he thought.

'Hogsmeade,' she said softly. 'Sunday. I'll meet you in the Entry Hall at nine o'clock. And I refuse to be gossiped about. If I hear about this from anyone else, you _will_ need a cup.'

Sirius chuckled and nodded. 'Great!' he said enthusiastically. 'Sunday. Nine o'clock. See you then.'

He watched as she moved away, walking back into the castle. His eyes were firmly on her denim covered ass, for the first time noticing the usual robes were missing.

_Boy, was that backside worth waiting for!_

His body stirred as he imagined his hands clutching that lush looking flesh and he took a deep breath, turning and running down to the Quidditch Pitch.

* * *

'Remus!' he called, seeing the werewolf in the stands. He ignored James' call to him to hurry up and joined Remus.

'What did you say to Sarah?' he asked and Remus looked a little wary.

'Why?' he said quickly. 'What did she say?'

'Nothing. But it worked,' he told him with a grin. 'Whatever you said to her, it worked. She came and apologised and we're going to Hogsmeade on Sunday.'

Remus smiled. Sirius had asked him for a little advice after he and Sarah kissed and the werewolf had advised giving her some space.

_'She's as stubborn as you, Pads,' he'd told him. 'The more you push, the harder she'll resist. Give her some space and she might just come to you.' _

_But, ever impatient, Sirius had begged him to talk to the girl on his behalf. 'Just tell her what a nice guy I am,' Sirius had pleaded. _

_'So...lie?' Remus teased, before finally agreeing._

'So the "back off and send the friend in" plan worked,' he murmured now. 'Congratulations. Looks like James' Galleons are in danger after all.'

Sirius laughed. 'Was there ever any doubt?' he said then ran onto the pitch.

* * *

'Remus, I still don't understand,' Peter whined that night in the library and Remus closed his eyes, praying for patience. Peter was taking an extraordinary amount of time to get the hang of the theory behind wandless magic - even for him.

'Let's take a bit of a break from it,' he said, chuckling at the look of relief on Peter's face.

Peter stretched, then let out a laugh. 'Sirius was happy you talked to Sarah,' he said and Remus smiled.

'He wouldn't be if he knew what I told her,' he mumbled and Peter frowned.

'Huh?' he grunted but Remus shook his head.

'Nothing,' he said then looked at Peter. 'Do you think he's going to win this bet?'

'Get the Ice Princess to have sex with him?' Peter said, sceptically. 'Doubt it. Definitely not by the Easter holidays. She hates him.'

'Don't call her that name,' Remus said with a frown at the other boy. 'And maybe he can. Sarah's really nice but she's tough too. I reckon they'd be really good together. She wouldn't take any of his crap anyway. I kind of hope James loses his ten Galleons - don't tell him that though.'

Peter laughed loudly then stopped when Madam Pince glared at them. 'We'd better get back to it,' Remus said softly, smiling when Peter groaned.

Neither of them heard muffled footsteps from the other side of the book shelves as Sarah, white with fury, walked away.


	8. Chapter 8

**No murders in this chapter, I'm afraid! :-) Thanks for the reviews, guys and to those who have put alerts and favs on this fic, I'd love to hear from you. Cheers**

* * *

Chapter Nine

The Hogsmeade Visit

Sirius was irritated.

Irritated by the butterflies that seemed to have taken up residence in his stomach since Sarah agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him. No matter how much he swore at them; reasoned with them; threatened them, the butterflies remained right where they were, fluttering madly around his insides, making him feel anxious and slightly nauseous.

_It's just a fucking date. That's all. I'm trying to get into her pants._

Now, as he waited in the Entry Hall for Sarah, the butterflies were going crazy. He hadn't been able to eat this morning and his palms were sweating. He wiped them on his jeans impatiently.

_This is ridiculous. I am Sirius Black. I do not sweat. I make girls sweat._

'You're here,' came a slightly surprised voice and he turned around.

'Yeah,' he said, with what he hoped was a casual shrug. 'I have nowhere better to be today.'

'Well, I do,' Sarah said tartly, walking past him. 'But I _did_ agree to go to the village with you so let's get this over with.'

He watched with a slightly open mouth as she walked down the stairs and off down the path to the gates.

_I am not going to run after her. I am Sirius Black. I do not run after girls. I make girls run after me._

The message didn't make it to his legs before they started to jog to catch up with Sarah, who he was starting to believe had been sent from the fiery depths of hell to torment him.

_I will not think about how, for one of the devils' disciples, she looks disturbingly angelic today._

She'd left the robes off and, despite the bulky coat she wore, he could see he was going to like what he found once he managed to get those pants off her.

She wasn't as thin as the girls he usually dated but softly curved in a way that made his body heat up quite pleasantly. Her hair was loose today, hanging in waves down her back and the cold had made her cheeks pink, her eyes seeming even bluer against the flush.

He came up next to her, noticing for the first time that she was nearly as tall as he was. His arm brushed hers and she moved away from him. Sirius grinned and closed the distance between them again and this time, she didn't give him the satisfaction of her shifting, letting their arms rub against each other all the way to Hogsmeade. He couldn't help but notice how her face got pinker but didn't comment, afraid she'd notice the hue of his own cheeks which, even though he couldn't see them, he was sure were bright red.

_How does she do this? How does she turn me into an eleven year old suffering from his first crush?_

'Why did you change your mind?' he asked after a few minutes of silence. 'About going out with me?'

She glanced over at him then looked away again. 'Remus assured me you really were harmless,' she said lightly. 'And that you were unlikely to give up until I agreed to a date. So, here I am.'

'So this is a ploy to get rid of me?' he asked with a frown.

She shrugged and her face got even redder. 'I guess I'm curious as well,' she said quietly. 'To see what makes Sirius Black think he's such a legend.'

Sirius chuckled and was surprised to see a corner of her mouth twitch as well.

'Exaggeration has played a very big part of my reputation, Sarah,' he said softly, surprised at his own words. 'And it's not _my _story telling. I'll admit I tell my friends about my dates but we don't spread rumours about what happens. For some reason, girls like other people knowing they've been out with me and sometimes they…stretch the truth a little. I mean, I wouldn't be able to walk if half of the activities attributed to me were true.'

Despite her best efforts not to, she giggled and Sirius felt his smile widen. He felt absurdly pleased that he had made her laugh and cheerfully tried to do it again for the rest of the walk into the wizarding village.

* * *

'Where should we go?' he asked when they reached the shops.

'I want to get a few books,' she told him, glancing over at his face. 'You don't have to come with me. I'm sure there's something you'd rather be doing…like buying more supplies for your ever-so-clever pranks…'

'Book shop is fine,' he interrupted, taking her hand and leading her to the shop where she threatened to mutilate him just a couple of weeks ago.

As they walked inside, she tugged her hand from his grasp and shot him a reproachful look as she headed for a far corner.

He frowned a little as he watched her go.

_This is ludicrous. I am Sirius Black. I do not need to put up with this shit from one girl. There are plenty who would love to be in her place right now._

But he knew that deep down, he was enjoying this game. He'd never met any girl who was so reluctant to be in his company before and he found he was growing increasingly attracted to her each time she snubbed his advances. The touch of her hand had heated his skin and made parts of him harden that had no right to be hardening in a book shop.

_She's not going to beat me. I will win her over. There is no way James is going to win this bet._

* * *

Sarah flexed her hand, trying to shake out the tingling sensation that remained even after she'd torn it from Sirius' grasp.

_Why, why, why him? Why is he the only one who can do this to me?_

She wanted to kill him. Murder him in a way that was as slow and painful as possible. After overhearing Remus and Peter the other night, she'd been so furious she had been ready to break into Gryffindor Tower and throttle Sirius in his sleep. Furious, humiliated, hurt and, fuck it all, disappointed that he hadn't been interested in her until there was a monetary incentive.

After a sleepless night spent mostly thinking up increasingly violent and inventive ways to end Sirius' life, she had an idea which, at four o'clock in the morning had sounded brilliant but now in reality was seeming more and more like a bad idea.

_Why on earth did I think spending more time with him would be a good idea? Is it worth this suffering to see him lose his bet?_

The plan had sounded good when she had been utterly livid at Sirius - go out with him, encourage him, make him think he had a chance of winning the bet then refuse to sleep with him by the cut off date, costing him not only ten Galleons but a big chunk of his pride when he had to admit that not all girls thought it was an honour to have sex with him. But now, faced with the reality of her attraction to him, she didn't honestly know if she _would_ be able to refuse him if he put the hard word on her.

_Cut it out, Sarah. You are strong. You are sensible. He is a slut. He will fuck you, claim his money then you'll never see him again. There is no way Sirius is going to win this bet._

* * *

At the end of the day, they were both surprised by the fact that they'd had a good time together. They'd looked through the shops in the little village, Sirius steadfastly ignoring the lure of Zonko's joke shop, then had lunch at the Three Broomsticks. By that time, they'd relaxed a little around each other and Sirius had a chance to enjoy Sarah's dry sense of humour and found that she had an amazing laugh that sent the most delicious little tingles down his spine.

Sarah, too, was astounded that she and Sirius had gotten along. They hadn't argued, instead talking quietly about their classes, the books Sarah had just bought, what they'd done over their last holidays. She'd had to admit that Remus was right: Sirius could be a pretty nice guy when he wasn't flirting or bragging or pranking, and that knowledge just made her revenge plan seem even harder to pursue.

* * *

Sirius had been thrilled that she seemed to relax a little around him and lose a bit of her edge and, as they walked back to the castle just before night fall, he tried reaching for her hand again. Although she jerked a little in shock and her face tensed a bit, she didn't pull away, not even when he linked their fingers. She hadn't worn gloves today and he'd taken his off at lunchtime so they were skin to skin. Sirius closed his eyes for a second, stifling the shiver that ran through him when her touch warmed his entire body.

_What is going on with me?_

Was it the fact she was fighting him that made her so appealing to him? Or was it just her? He snuck a glance at her and swallowed hard when he saw her pink cheeks.

_Was that the cold or from the touch of their hands?_

He hated this. Hated that this woman seemed to have some kind of power over him.

* * *

As they reached the castle, Sarah regretfully slid her hand out of the warmth of his. She wasn't anywhere near ready for people to see this. This was hard enough on her without people thinking they were seeing each other and making snide remarks. She didn't want to be referred to as Sirius' latest shag.

The rumours about her and Sirius had been rife when they first came back from Christmas holidays but, when they hadn't gone near each other for a couple of weeks, they'd died down (It also helped that Penny Cooper and Joshua Cash had been caught shagging in a cupboard by McGonagall and that was much better gossip).

* * *

Sirius cleared his throat as they reached the Entry Hall. 'Are you coming into dinner?' he asked but she shook her head.

'No,' she replied. 'I'm still full from lunch. I think I'll just go and finish off my homework.'

He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. 'So, is it too forward to ask if I can kiss you?' he said with a smile and she bit her lip.

'Just because I didn't have a completely horrible time doesn't mean I'm going to be snogging you anytime soon, Black,' she said, but there wasn't any venom in her voice. 'You should get to dinner. See ya.'

She turned to leave but Sirius darted around to stand in front of her. 'Could we go out again?' he asked, realising that, for once, he was doing all the chasing, but he surprised himself by how little he cared. 'Um, a picnic? On the top of the Astronomy Tower tomorrow night for dinner? I'll organise it all.'

Sarah looked a little reluctant but nodded. 'Alright then,' she said softly and couldn't help her smile when he grinned.

'Sar, you have a great smile,' he said without thinking. 'You should do it more often.'

She looked a bit uncomfortable with the compliment and flushed as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. 'Night, Black,' she mumbled.

'Night, Sarah,' he said, smiling as he watched her walk away until he realised what he was doing and gave himself a mental kick in the ass.

_You are just trying to get her into bed, Padfoot. This is about sex and money. That's all!_

* * *

Sarah walked quickly to her room and threw herself down on her bed. Heat swirled through her both from his earlier touch and his unexpectedly sweet words and she groaned out loud. She couldn't do this. She couldn't try and get close to him then refuse him.

'Damn him to hell,' she muttered.

_This was such a bad idea._


	9. Chapter 9

**Hiya, guys! A short chapter tonight - just talking about what's going on in their heads. Thanks for the reviews for last chapter and hope to get a few more this chappie! **

**Cheers x**

* * *

Chapter Nine

The Time for Second Thoughts

'So, how was it really?' James asked in a low voice late that night so as not to wake his room mates.

Peter had gone to bed after Sirius finished bragging about his successful date with Sarah, and Frank Longbottom was snoring gently two beds away.

James, however, knew Sirius as well as he did himself and could see that all was not well, his overdone performance for Peter and Frank not convincing him. Nor did it fool Remus, who was also concerned about his friend. Sirius had been almost introverted at dinner and in the common room tonight - very unlike the animagus- and the sensitive boy had picked up on his disquiet.

'It really _was_ quite nice,' he told them softly. 'And, while she wasn't declaring her love for me by the end of the day, she wasn't completely revolted either. She's agreed to meet me tomorrow night so…'

He shrugged, not ready to put his muddled thoughts into words.

He knew James and Remus had noticed how withdrawn he'd been tonight but he just wasn't in the mood for mucking around. He was thinking about the day, wondering if the sparks and heat he'd felt were mutual; and he was consumed with thoughts about tomorrow night's date. They'd gotten by with small talk today, but he wondered what she was really interested in.

'Books, just like Moony, if the amount of time she spent in the book shop today was any indication,' he had muttered to himself earlier, panicking because when it came to anything literary, he was completely lost.

He hadn't thought to ask what food she liked, and was also considering whether he should risk putting in a bottle of mead for him and the prefect to share.

_No. Stick to Butterbeer or juice. She'd probably take points off Gryffindor if I bought booze._

He hoped that Sarah would start to warm up a bit more to him on their second date? Or was he completely off base by thinking she was ever going to come around?

But the thought that prayed most weightily on his mind was whether he should ask to kiss her this time or just take the plunge and hope she didn't slap him.

Again.

_God, I never put this much thought into a date. She's completely fucking up my head!_

He'd drifted off a bit and James and Remus were both watching him in astonishment.

'Pads, did something happen you haven't told us about?' James asked, after exchanging a quick, puzzled look with Remus. It wasn't like Sirius to be so reserved. Something had to be going on.

'No, nothing happened,' he assured them with a smile, coming back into the moment.

'Is _that _what's wrong?' Remus asked. 'Nothing happened? Are you put off already? It was a first date, Pads, not all girls put out the first time - not even for you.'

Sirius almost burst out laughing.

_Put off? If only that were the problem._

'No, I'm not put off,' he said shaking his head and attempted bravado to cover the unfamiliar feeling of confusion. 'I'm fine. I'm just trying to work out how to get her clothes off ASAP so I can claim my Galleons. I've got my eye on a new broom.'

James laughed and Remus smiled, though a crease was still evident on his forehead.

'So what are you going to do tomorrow night?' he asked.

Sirius smiled. 'I'm all set for seduction, boys. Picnic basket that I'll charm the house elves into preparing for me, nice soft rug on the floor, twinkling stars in the sky, a warming spell cast on us both so we don't freeze to death when we get naked…'

James laughed and stretched, almost knocking Remus off the bed. 'I'm almost hoping you'll win,' he said with a grin as Remus righted himself. 'I've never seen you put this much effort into wooing a girl before. You might really have met your match with Sarah. She's really going to make you earn the trip into her knickers.'

Sirius growled and stood up. 'She's just like any other girl, Prongs,' he snapped, unreasonably irritated by his words. 'A few pretty words and a bit of attention and she'll be mine.'

James grinned and said, 'Whatever you say, Padfoot,' his scepticism annoying Sirius further and he let them know of his displeasure by stomping over to the bathroom and slamming the door. Remus and James looked bemused, the werewolf shrugging at James before saying goodnight.

* * *

Sirius flipped the shower on, sighing as he pulled his clothes off and threw them carelessly on the ground. Holding a hand under the spray to check the temperature, he let his mind wander back to what James had said.

_I've never seen you put this much effort into wooing a girl before. You might really have met your match with Sarah._

'I'll be damned if I have,' he muttered aloud, stepping under the now heated water.

As he soaped up his chest, he couldn't help thinking about her though. The feel of her soft hand in his, marvelling at the way they seemed to fit so well together (wondering if they'd fit so well together in every way); the sensation of her lips the day before Christmas holidays, the taste of her mouth, the stroke of her tongue over his.

_Shit!_

His body responded enthusiastically to his lewd thoughts and he groaned, finishing soaping his legs and arms before moving his hand to the most insistent part of his anatomy. He moved his soapy hand over his throbbing cock, moaning a little at the sensation of flesh over hard flesh. The soap provided lubrication and it was quick, Sirius letting out an involuntary little cry as he came.

_Damn her._

Bloody Sarah and her fucking smokin' ass and gorgeous smile and beautiful blue eyes and soft, tasty lips...

'She will _not_ beat me,' he told himself firmly, though deep down, he wasn't sure if she already had.

* * *

'So, it wasn't awful?' Kate asked, watching Sarah pace the floor of their dorm. Sarah had confided in the other girl about what she'd overheard in the library and her plan for retaliation.

Sarah shook her head but her face was tense.

'Then what's the matter?' Kate said then she thought she understood. 'Oh. It _wasn't_ awful.'

Sarah stopped pacing and sighed, looking at her friend with a pained expression. 'Why wasn't it horrible?' she said miserably. 'There is nothing about him that I like - he's annoying and stubborn and attention seeking and so far up himself that it's a wonder he hasn't turned inside out…'

'And yet you _still_ didn't have a terrible time,' Kate said softly. 'Look, I know you want some revenge for this bet but Sar, you like him. Whether you want to or not. If this is just about winning for him, the only person you're hurting here is yourself.'

Sarah made a unintelligible noise and sank down on her bed. The same thought had occurred to her but, although she hated to admit to it, she could be every bit as stubborn as she claimed Sirius to be. She didn't want to admit that Sirius-bloody-Black had gotten the better of her.

To make him believe she would sleep with him eventually, she had to let him touch her; kiss her. And that may just be her downfall. Just holding hands with him today had made her as hot as Hades, and that kiss before Christmas…well, that part of his reputation was definitely _not _exaggerated.

'I'm not going to let him win,' she muttered and Kate frowned.

'Sar, just be careful, alright,' she warned. 'You know his reputation. He never gets serious about anyone and this bet…'

She stopped then repeated, 'Just be careful.'

Sarah nodded and tried to smile at her friend. 'I'm supposed to be on patrol,' she mumbled, standing up again. 'See you later.'

**R and R, please. The button's just there...go on. You know you want to! :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone. Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter and to those who are reading but not reviewing (that little blue button is soooo close... and I love feedback - makes me write faster.)**

* * *

Chapter Ten

The Second Date

'God, it's so cold up here!' Sarah said, wrapping her arms around her chest.

'All part of my plan,' Sirius teased, spreading a thick rug on the stone floor. 'You'll have to get nice and close to me to keep warm.'

Sarah tried to bite back her smile, not completely succeeding, as she watched him pull some containers of food from the picnic basket he'd bought with him.

He'd settled them into a sheltered area of the Astronomy Tower that had come in handy in the past for…well, shagging. Not that he thought Sarah would have sex with him tonight - though he was buoyed by the fact she willingly entwined her fingers with his as they walked up to the Tower, only trying to tug it from his grasp once when they passed a gaggle of giggling Hufflepuffs. He refused to let go and no doubt the news Sirius Black had been holding hands with Sarah Patterson was flying around the castle at this very moment.

She sat down next to him and was surprised that the air was now warm, as was the rug under her backside. He'd cast Heating spells without her noticing.

'Guess you do listen in class occasionally,' she murmured and Sirius looked up with a grin.

'_Very _occasionally,' he confirmed and was pleased to see her smile.

They spent a few minutes filling their plates, Sirius surprised to see she took almost as much as him.

'Most girls I know hardly eat a thing,' he told her and she frowned at him, wondering if he'd just had a go at her eating habits.

'You _do_ seem to favour girls who look as though they'd snap in half if you fucked them too hard,' she retorted and he didn't know whether to defend himself or laugh.

So he did both.

'Sorry,' he said when she glared at him, trying to stop his laughter. 'Just the image…and hearing it come out of _your _mouth…'

When she still looked a little insulted, he drew breath and tried to explain. 'I didn't mean it in a bad way. I like it when a girl eats instead of picking at her food. It makes me feel like a pig when they do that. And…it obviously works for you.'

His eyes lowered and ran over her body before rising again to see her now pink face. 'Eat your damn food,' she mumbled, stabbing a piece of chicken viciously.

'Sarah…' he said but she shook her head.

'I'm not mad, Black,' she said with a sigh, trying to stop herself jumping him right there as an ache began low in her belly. 'Just…don't look at me like that.'

'Like what?' he asked, curiously.

She cleared her throat and muttered, 'Like you're going to have me for dessert.'

He let out a barking laugh and poked his fork at a piece of potato. 'You _would_ be a deliciousdessert,' he told her and she groaned even as a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.

'God, you're cheesy,' she said, making him laugh.

There were a few moments of silence then Sirius looked at her, swallowed his chicken and said, 'What do you like to do?'

Sarah looked a bit startled. 'Do?' she asked and he nodded.

'I know you like to read,' he said, putting his plate down and picking up his bottle of Butterbeer. 'What else do you like?'

Sarah bit her lip. She'd expected to spend the night listening to him boasting about his pranks or making lewd sexual comments. She hadn't expected him to ask her about what she liked.

'Um, I like Muggle movies,' she told him hesitantly. 'I don't know if you know…being pure blood…'

'I've been to the cinema with James, Remus and Pete,' he interrupted. 'Some blood and gore thing. It was fun. Maybe…maybe we could go together sometime. As long as we don't see some soppy love story.'

Sarah smiled - a little uncertainly. This wasn't going the way she'd expected. He was being…nice, attentive and, dare she say it, genuine.

'I don't really like soppy love stories,' she said, grabbing her own drink with a slightly trembling hand. 'I like blood and gore movies. Action or comedies as well. I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of girl.'

'I'd noticed,' he murmured and she flushed. 'What else?'

'I like Quidditch,' she said, then took a sip from the bottle. 'I follow the Chudley Cannons.'

'Really?' he said, perking up at the shared interest. 'So do I. Did you catch that game last season that went for two days?'

'Yeah, I was there,' she told him with a smile. 'My dad took me. It was great, wasn't it? Did you see that goal Jefferies made from the other end of the pitch? And the Seeker's fake out? Wish I could fly like that.'

Sirius grinned, thrilled that they'd found something to talk about and that Sarah was quickly warming up, forgetting her self consciousness as she spoke.

He'd never talked about Quidditch with a girl before. Hell, he barely spoke to them at all sometimes before he had them up against a wall or underneath him on a quickly Transfigured rug, but he liked talking to Sarah. And she knew her Quidditch, correcting him a few times when he got the scores of previous games wrong. He liked that she was so forthright and that she wasn't fawning over him or hanging with his every word. It was then he realised how boring that simpering had gotten - going out with Sarah was a refreshing change.

He pulled out some slices of cake as he told her about the Quidditch Grand Final the year before that he'd attended and she hadn't.

'God, I'm so jealous,' she said, swiping her finger over the chocolate icing. 'I begged dad to take me but he was working.'

She stuck the chocolate covered finger in her mouth, sucking the icing off. Sirius' eyes fell to her lips, trying to stop a soft groan escaping when he saw her tongue sweep over her bottom lip in search of more sweet icing. His breathing sped up and blood pumped faster through his body with every quickened beat of his heart.

_Does she know what she's doing to me? Christ! It's ridiculous how much I want her._

'That's nice cake,' she said then saw the look on his now pink face.

'What?' she asked and he blinked.

'Huh?' he said, eyes raising to hers.

'What's wrong?' she asked, confused by his sudden silence. 'What are you thinking?'

His gaze dropped again and he took a deep breath. 'You don't want to know,' he mumbled and heat rushed through her when she saw the obvious desire in his stare.

Tension grew quickly between them and she couldn't help it - her eyes crept down to his lips, seeing his tongue sneak out to wet them. A powerful throb shook her and she took a trembling breath.

_Shit._

'Um, I think it, um, might be time to go,' she whispered and her words broke the moment. Sirius looked a bit dazed and blinked a few times before nodding. 'Yeah,' he grunted, standing up and pulling out his wand, waving it at the picnic.

There was an electricity between them; a chemistry that he'd never experienced before and he felt a little ripple of fear. He was usually in control of these sorts of situations but his restraint was fraying rapidly tonight and he wasn't sure he liked what she did to him.

* * *

Once he'd shrunk the mat, they walked back down the stairs, both of them shivering a little in the cold air after the warmth of their picnic. Sarah jumped a bit when Sirius' arm went around her.

'You're shivering,' he said when she turned and raised an eyebrow at him. She shook her head but didn't shrug off his arm - she _was_ pretty cold and his touch was heating her up very effectively.

After a few seconds of silence, he said softly, 'I'm cold too.'

Sarah hesitated then put her arm around his waist. He drew her closer, their sides pressed together tight. The shudder that ran through the both of them did not have anything to do with the temperature and, when Sirius bought them to a halt, she wasn't all that surprised.

'Sarah,' he said, uncertainly. "I want…'

He seemed to be unable to get his words out and instead, once again, chose to let his actions speak for him. Leaning over, he pressed his lips gently against hers for a couple of seconds before pulling away. It was a simple, chaste kiss that felt anything but simple or chaste.

Sirius had felt her lips trembling and hoped it was from the kiss rather than the cold, although he was going to claim he was hypothermic if she asked why he was shaking so badly right now. But she didn't ask. Instead she gave in to her baser instincts and, when his face moved closer again, she didn't resist.

He let his mouth brush over hers lightly then, when she didn't pull away, he caught her lips with his. He felt her giggle softly and moved back a little, wondering if he should be insulted that she was so amused by his technique.

'Am I doing something funny?' he asked a little stiffly and she shook her head apologetically.

'Your nose is freezing,' she whispered, biting her lip.

He burst out laughing, leaning his head against hers.

'Sarah, you are like no one I've ever met,' he said softly.

Their smiles faded a little with his confession and, this time, there were no interruptions. Neither of them heard the basket hit the floor with a thud as Sirius raised his hands to Sarah's face, cupping it as he kissed her gently. Their lips parted as they allowed the other access to the recesses of their mouth, Sirius taking immediate advantage and letting his tongue stroke over hers. He was encouraged when he heard a little whimper escape her, and let his hands move - one around to the back of her head and the other ran lightly down her arm to her hip, tightening there for a moment before moving around to the small of her back.

Sarah lost all sense of reason as his tongue drew a response from hers, and when she touched the tip lightly to his bottom lip and heard his moan, she couldn't help but let herself go. His striking face had always held such a fascination for her and the need to touch was becoming overwhelming. Her hands raised to run along his jaw - revelling in the reality of the touch she'd been fantasising about for so long. His skin was a little rough there and she stroked her thumb down to his chin, letting her fingers splay down his neck and cup his face. Another moan escaped him, sounding as if it had been torn from him - deep and ragged - and, as he pulled her tight against his body, Sarah knew if she didn't stop this now, he'd be winning that bet sooner than even he thought he would.

She pulled away, breathing heavily and shaking way too much for one little kiss. Sirius looked as unsettled as she felt and didn't challenge the abrupt end to their lip lock, just picking up the fallen basket and taking her hand. They walked in silence back to Ravenclaw Tower, stopping at the entry.

'See you tomorrow,' he said, clearing his throat when he heard how rough his voice still was. 'Can we meet up? I've got a free period after lunch.'

Sarah smiled. 'Yeah, so do I,' she told him and he grinned broadly before catching himself.

_God, Black. Do you want to look desperate?_

'We could go for a walk?' he suggested then smiled. 'I bet we'd have time to go for a drink in Hogsmeade if we skipped lunch… What?'

Her smile had faded and a hardness appeared in her eyes. 'Yeah, that sounds alright,' she said, turning to the door. 'It's late. I'll see you tomorrow.'

She gave the answer to the question the portrait asked and it swung open. 'Sarah?' Sirius said, confused by her change of mood.

'Night, Black,' she murmured, closing the door behind her, leaving a swearing Sirius in the corridor.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Hello, duckies! Thanks for the reviews for last chappie. Very much appreciated. Sarah's odd reaction will be explained in this chapter - it was all in the wording he used._**

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Chapter Eleven

The Aftermath of the Kiss 

'I don't understand her, Prongs,' he said, a little too loudly. 'She runs hot and cold.'

'Shh!' James hissed, making sure the curtains were closed properly around his bed so as not to wake the others.

Sirius looked irritated but lowered his voice. 'She kissed me back then went all cold again,' he said again, frustration obvious in his voice. 'She kissed me back …'

He stopped, losing his breath for a moment when he remembered how it felt to have her kiss him back.

_God, I've never been kissed like that before._

* * *

He had told Sarah the truth the other day - his reputation was slightly exaggerated. He _had_ been with many girls. Many, many girls actually, but he hadn't had sex with them all. In fact, he could still easily count the girls he'd shagged on two hands - which, granted, was an achievement for a seventeen and a half year old but the numbers were nowhere near the estimated tally that the other boys kept.

He sighed heavily. The other girls - they all just seemed so…blah now. They fell into one of two categories: they either lay there passively and waited for him to work his reputed magic or they were too aggressive, going at him like a rabid dog. And, while in the past he'd never particularly minded either approach, he'd never had anything else to compare it to so he never knew that there could be a third category - whatever the hell it was that had happened tonight.

Tonight being the night when he found out what it was like to have someone set him on fire.

* * *

James heard his friends' voice falter and saw his face soften by the light of their lit wands as his eyes glazed over.

'Padfoot,' he said, drawing the other boy's attention back to him. 'You like her?'

Sirius frowned then sat up straighter, pulling himself together.

'Course not,' he said scathingly. 'She's just a bit more challenging than the others…'

'Sirius, you don't have to act like that with me,' James said softly. 'We can call the bet off if you really like her…'

'I'm acting exactly like I always do,' the black haired boy retorted, sliding off his friend's bed. He wasn't comfortable talking about how he was feeling so reverted back to type to cover his unease. 'And you're just worried I'm getting somewhere with the Ice Princess. Those Galleons are practically in my pocket, Prongs.'

He opened the curtains and walked over to his own bed, throwing himself down then waving his wand to close his own curtains so he could try and relieve some of the ache in his body in private.

* * *

Sarah frowned at her reflection the next morning.

_I look like shit._

She had dark marks under her eyes and was a little pale from her sleepless night. For a while last night, she'd forgotten what she was doing this for; that she was after revenge. It wasn't until he said the word 'bet' that she remembered and had to get as far away from him as possible right away.

_Too damn bad I couldn't remember that before I let him snog the hell out of me._

That kiss.

Holy hell, he could've asked her to drop to her knees and she would have blown him in the middle of the corridor. That's how hot she'd been…

_With one fucking kiss!_

'I'm _not_ falling for him,' she muttered, yanking a brush viciously through her hair. 'I am going to go at this like he is - no emotion. Focus on the end result…seeing him bought down a peg or two and, maybe, have another one or two of those kisses but I am _not_ going to sleep with him.'

Heat swirled low in her belly at the thought of Sirius touching her: her bare skin against his; his tongue making her scream; her tongue tasting him; his body inside…

'God!'

She slammed the hair brush down and stomped, irritated and horny, down the stairs and out of her common room.

* * *

'Morning, gorgeous,' Sirius said softly, creeping up behind her and kissing the back of her neck.

'Black!' she hissed, taking a swipe at him as she turned around. 'Don't do that.'

He chuckled and squeezed in between Sarah and Kate, giving Kate a smile before he turned back to Sarah.

'You snogged me in the middle of the corridor last night, Sar,' he said, mercifully keeping his voice down. 'I think we've passed the 'no kissing in public' thing.'

'No one was around last night,' she snapped quietly, glaring at him. 'We're in the middle of the Dining Hall.'

_And drawing plenty of looks. Dirty looks._

'So, you haven't heard?' he said with a smile. '_We_ are the hottest gossip to hit Hogwarts since…well, since the last time we kissed. I'm afraid we weren't as alone in that corridor as we thought last night.'

Sarah looked horrified and Sirius cocked his head, immediately on the defensive. Was she embarrassed about people knowing she'd been with him? Didn't she know how many girls were glaring at her and planning her slow and painful demise right now?

'What's the matter? Are you ashamed of being seen with a Gryffindor? Or is it me in particular that you're embarrassed to be seen with?' he asked and she heard the ill disguised hurt in his voice.

He must have heard it too because he cleared his throat and stood up quickly.

'I'm going to have breakfast. Catch me up later - if you want,' he said casually, tossing his hair a bit then walking off, trying desperately not to look back at her.

_What she thinks of me shouldn't worry me this much. It doesn't worry me. Ten Galleons. That's my new mantra. Ten Galleons. Ten Galleons. Ten Galleons. _

* * *

Sarah watched him go then turned back to her cereal, stabbing her spoon distractedly into the remaining mush. She felt bad that she'd hurt him - she just didn't want people knowing about them. She didn't want people's eyes on them, making them feel like a couple. Not when he was just trying to win a bet and she was trying to get revenge.

_This is getting too complicated. I wanted to embarrass him a little, deflate his ego a bit. I don't want to hurt him. Why is he hurt anyway? He's the one who started all this. Maybe I'm imagining things. God, this is seriously not worth seeing his ego pricked a little._

'Sar?' Kate asked, sliding back over. 'You ok?'

Sarah sighed. 'Nope,' she whispered. 'I don't think I am.'

* * *

'Hi,' she said softly, swallowing her pride and making her way over to a lingering Sirius after class.

James grinned and threw his book bag over his shoulder. 'About time you came over,' he teased. 'He was running out of reasons to hang around.'

'Sod off, Prongs,' Sirius muttered as he flushed and the other boy laughed, waving as he left the room.

'I'm sorry about before,' she said, biting her lip. 'I'm not ashamed or embarrassed about seeing you or anything that's happened. I just…I'm not comfortable with people thinking we're…'

She shrugged, not sure how to end that sentence. What were they doing?

'Dating?' he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 'Sarah, this…what we're doing… _is_ dating, sweetheart. And it's usually done in public places, although I certainly wouldn't mind carrying it on in more private places if you want…

Sarah smiled a little grimly and shook her head, disappointed. They were back to sexual innuendoes.

'You were so close, Black,' she muttered, turning around but he grabbed her arm with a smile.

'I'm teasing you, Sarah,' he said, then took her face in his hands and his smile faded. 'I like teasing you. You get this spark in your eyes when you're pissed off and I know I shouldn't do it but you just look so pretty with your eyes all dark and fiery…'

His words were cut off when she planted her lips on his - partly to get him to shut up but mostly because she just really wanted to.

Sirius' arms moved around her, pulling her tight to him and her hands slid into his hair, hearing his moan when her tongue dipped between his lips and echoing it when he met it with his. As the lip lock quickly deepened, the very same thought ran through both their minds.

_I am so fucked._

**_Oh, look! Off to the left. A little blue button...I wonder what will happen if I just press on it..._**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all your kind words and reviews for last chapter. Glad you're enjoying this fic and I swear, there'll be action soon. God, they're going to explode if there isn't! Keep reading...if they fight this much, imagine what their make up sex will be like eventually! :-)**

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Chapter Thirteen

The Hufflepuff Slut

'Moony!' he whined, grabbing the book out of the werewolf's hands and glaring at him. 'I am Sirius Black, love god, and I am asking you - YOU - for advice about a girl. The least you can do is look at me.'

Remus sighed and pushed himself up more comfortably on the bed, shoving Sirius off his legs a little harder than necessary and the boy landed on the floor.

'Serves you right, bloody mutt,' he grumbled, but there was no heat in his words. He watched Sirius scrambled off the ground and settle himself on his bed. 'Alright, Pads. What is it I can help you with?'

Sirius frowned and suddenly seemed quite reluctant to talk.

'Oh for the love of God, Sirius,' Remus said impatiently. 'I suck at Occlumency. I can't read your mind or your palm or anything. Just tell me what you want or I'm going to try that new curse I found that makes…things…shrink.'

He raised an eyebrow and Sirius held up his hands. 'Alright, alright,' he said quickly. He flicked his wand at the curtains, closing them tight, and casting a Silencing Spell.

'While I'm flattered, Pads, you're really not my type…' Remus teased but stopped when Sirius didn't bite back. 'Alright, what is it? What's wrong?'

'Fuck it all, Moony. I think I like her,' he moaned, throwing himself back onto the bed and putting an arm over his eyes dramatically.

Remus tried not to laugh at the flamboyant gesture. 'I assume you mean Sarah?' he asked, trying not to look smug. He _knew _it.

'Yes I bloody well mean Sarah,' he snapped irritably, not moving. 'And I can _feel _you smirking, so cut it out. How do I stop this? How do I…turn this off?'

'You can't,' Remus said gently, tugging Sirius' arm away from his face. 'You can't control who you love…'

'LIKE!' Sirius almost roared, sitting up like a bullet from a gun. 'Who said _anything_ about love? Love!' He snorted in disgust and lay back down.

'Alright, well, you can't control who you like then,' Remus said soothingly. 'It'd be a lot easier if you could but…where's the fun in that?'

'There's no fun in this,' Sirius muttered then sat up again. 'Well, apart from the snogging. That's fun.'

Remus smiled. 'I seem to recall that Sarah was a very good kisser,' he said with a reminiscent gleam in his eye then he caught sight of the expression on Sirius' face. 'God, Pads! Are you jealous?'

'No,' he muttered, glaring at Remus, his face as dark as thunder and eyes stormy. 'I just don't need to hear you talking about how much you enjoyed snogging my girlfr…'

His mouth clamped shut but it was too late.

'Girlfriend?' Remus asked, sitting up straighter with a grin stretched across his face. 'Oh, has my little Padsy Wadsy grown up? Is he in loooovvvveeeee! OW!'

Sirius had thumped him hard in the arm and he rubbed the sore spot that was sure to bruise and frowned at Sirius. 'No need for violence,' he grumbled.

Sirius sighed heavily and Remus decided to stop teasing him. 'Look, Pads,' he said. 'James would call the bet off if you asked…'

'No,' he said firmly. 'I'm not going to lose this bet, Moony. Sarah doesn't need to know about it…'

'You're obviously worried about it…'

Sirius' forehead creased but he shook his head with finality. 'It's just lust,' he decided, falling back into the familiar arrogance that hid his insecurity and fear. 'She…intrigues me because she said no at first but once I put the charm on, she gave in and soon she'll be jumping my bones just like the other girls and I'll be a rich man. It's just lust.'

Remus stared at him. 'Are you trying to convince me or yourself?' he asked and Sirius stood up.

'I _do _like her, Moony,' he admitted. 'She's a nice girl. But nice girls don't do it for me for long. I'll shag her, get the money, then I'll get bored of her - just like the others.'

He stood up and flicked his wand, opening the curtains. 'Thanks, Remus.'

* * *

But a couple of weeks later, with just a month to go until the deadline, they not only hadn't progressed beyond a goodnight kiss at the Ravenclaw common room door but Sirius was far from bored. Well, _right now _he was bored but that was because Sarah was ignoring him in favour of Slughorn's potions essay. It was the full moon the following night, and he wanted to spend some time with her before he went with Moony to the Shrieking Shack.

'Come on, Sar,' he mumbled, leaning over her shoulder. 'You've got a week before this is due and I've got that thing with the boys tomorrow night. Can't you leave it till then and come and talk to me?'

'No,' she said distractedly, pushing him away. 'I, unlike you, don't believe in leaving things to the last minute.'

Sirius growled a little then decided a more direct approach was required. 'Sarah,' he whispered, pushing her hair aside and kissing the back of her neck.

She twitched a bit and tried to shrug him off. 'Bugger off, Black,' she muttered, then tried not lean into the kiss he pressed to her neck just below her pulse point.

'Sarah,' he said again, his lips moving lightly over her cheek. 'Come and play with me. You know you want to.'

'You are such a pain in the ass,' she said but her words held no venom and her eyes were getting hard to keep open as his lips sent heat undulating through her body.

His tongue flicked at the corner of her mouth, sending a shiver down her spine, and she caved. 'Alright,' she said, a little too loudly as she stood up.

'I'll put my things back and then I'm all yours,' she said, then glared at him when he grinned in delight. 'Get your mind out of the gutter…and go wait outside for me. No!'

She smacked his hand off her books. 'You'll shove them back anywhere. Just go and wait outside, please. You're distracting.'

He grinned again and Sarah groaned. 'God, what on earth am I doing?' she muttered, then watched him leave, eyes drifting down to his ass.She frowned.

She'd hit a snag in her revenge plans. She liked the idiot. When he wasn't being an arrogant berk, he was actually a good guy - funny, sweet, gentle, and patient with her many refusals to allow him into her room.

_And I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold out._

She bit her lip. The revenge idea was getting tired and so was she - tired of saying no to something she really wanted. She shoved the last book back and gathered her belongings. As she swung her book bag over her shoulder she smiled a little.

_I will not let him win. That man needs taking down a peg or two._

* * *

She walked out of the library and looked around for Sirius, her face freezing a little when she saw him near the stairs with Hufflepuff slut Gabby Green's lips bearing down on him. A stab of pain made her stomach clench and she felt fury burst to life inside her as the girl kissed him.

He saw her almost instantly and his face went pale. 'No, Sarah,' he said, shaking his head as he came towards her. 'It's not what you think.'

She knew that but it didn't stop her feeling furious with the both of them. Her eyes moved to the other girl, who had a triumphant look on the face that Sarah had an almost irresistable urge to smash into a pulp.

_Oh, I'm not letting a cow like you get the best of me._

She surprised both of them by smiling then walking up to Sirius. 'Glad you found something to do while you were waiting,' she said, then looked at Gaby, dismissively. 'Thanks for warming him up for me. You can go now.'

She turned back to Sirius and grasped his flabbergasted face and kissed him hard.

* * *

Sirius was startled but didn't waste any time fighting her. He wasn't sure why she was kissing him instead of hitting him, but he soon stopped caring as she snogged him senseless. They staggered and his back hit the wall behind them, Sarah pressing herself against him hard. Forgetting all about the fact they were in public and at least one person might still be watching, she stood on her tip toes and rubbed herself over his hardening erection, making him moan loudly and spin them around so he was pushing her into the stone wall now.

Their tongues duelled for control of the kiss and, for the first time, their hands wandered away from the 'safe' zones. Sarah slipped hers under his shirt, sliding up over his firm stomach and ribs to brush over his nipples. He groaned and decided what was good for Sarah was good for Sirius as well. His hands moved to cup her ass, squeezing it as he pulled her hips closer to his. He left one hand there, the other creeping under her shirt to cup a breast, his body starting to throb when he heard her moan into his mouth.

'Mr Black! Miss Patterson!' came a shocked voice and they quickly pulled apart, hands falling out from underneath each others clothing.

Sirius tugged on his shirt, trying to make it longer to cover the very obvious evidence of his arousal then settled for shoving his hands in his pockets. Sarah ran her hands over her head and wiped her mouth with a shaky hand as they faced an angry Professor McGonagall.

'Ten points from both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw,' she said. 'Such activities are NOT appropriate anywhere in this school, let alone the halls. Mr Black, this is not your first warning and Miss Patterson, I am very disappointed in you.'

Sarah looked down at her feet. This was the first time she'd ever been spoken to harshly by a teacher and the first time she'd ever cost her house points. It felt awful.

Sirius saw her trembling lip and took her hand. 'It was my fault. I'm sorry, Professor,' he said softly and Sarah echoed his words.

'Back to your dorms now,' she said, somewhat mollified by the fact that Sirius Black, for the first time ever, had issued a sincere sounding apology.

She watched as they nodded and turned to walk to their respective towers. 'Sarah,' he said urgently as they got a safe distance from her. 'She kissed me. I didn't kiss her back and I pushed her off me as soon as she started.'

Sarah shrugged, feigning indifference. 'It's none of my business who you kiss, Black,' she mumbled then turned to walk up the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower. 'Night.'

'I'll walk you,' he said but she shook her head, wanting to be alone with her confusion. She'd never kissed anyone like that before; never made a spectacle of herself like that before, and she'd never felt jealousy like that before. And it was seriously messing up her head.

'Don't bother,' she told him but he followed her anyway.

'Sar, are you really upset?' he asked and looked at him.

'I'm aware of your reputation, Black…'

'I didn't _want _her to kiss me,' he interrupted hotly. 'And if I was everything my reputation said I was, wouldn't I have kissed her back? But I didn't. I didn't _want _to.'

He frowned, looking as if he'd said more than he wanted to, and turned to leave.

_Fuck it! No bird's worth this._

'And stop calling me, "Black"!' he snapped over his shoulder as he stormed off.


	13. Chapter 13

**How could one write a fic about Sirius without drama! **

**A little less drama, a little more lovin' in this chappie! Cheers for all those wonderful reviews you're going to send me!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

The Room of Requirement

'I thought women were supposed to be the ones who loved drama ,' Sarah said to Sirius as she sat next to him the following day at breakfast. Her back was to the table and she didn't see his friends look up when she sat. 'I don't think I've ever met anyone with quite such a flair for the theatrical as you…Sirius.'

He turned to look at her and grinned, his heart beating a little faster when she called him by his given name for the first time. 'I accept your apology,' he said cheekily.

Sarah looked exasperated. 'I wasn't apol…'

'Yes you were,' he said softly, leaning across her lap, putting one hand on the bench on the other side of her. 'Now, how are you going to make it up to me?'

She let out a breath of irritation at his nerve, trying to lean back so those soft, oh-so-tasty lips weren't so near to hers. 'You let some…_Hufflepuff_ kiss you,' she said, making an effort to restrain herself. 'And _I_ have to make it up to _you_?'

He made a face and nodded. 'Fair enough,' he agreed. 'How can _I_ make it up to _you_?'

'Don't be a prat for a whole day,' she mumbled, trying to push him away. She couldn't think properly when he was so damn close and if she just leant forward a little she'd be kissing him…

He must have read her mind because in the next second, his lips were on hers - soft, sweet, short…more than enough, though, to make her quiver inside. When he removed his lips, he took an extra second to playfully nuzzle her nose with his then pulled away with a gentle smile.

'You'd better go eat,' he whispered. 'Or you're going to get us a detention. Jumping me like that. Tsk, tsk, Prefect Sarah.'

She tried to glare at him, but the effect was ruined by her pink cheeks and reluctant smile.

'Morning, Sarah,' James said, wriggling his fingers and grinning.

She looked at him, realising she'd completely forgotten that she and Sirius weren't on their own. She twisted around to glance across the table and saw Peter and Lily Evans trying to hide their smiles and Remus openly smirking. Her already pink faced flamed as she mumbled a greeting then tried to push Sirius' arm out of the way.

'Meet me after breakfast?' he said, holding strong. 'I want to show you something.'

'As long as it's not your mattress,' she muttered.

He chuckled and moved his arm, sitting up straight. '_Not_ my mattress,' he confirmed then watched her walk over to the Ravenclaw table, muttering under his breath, 'Not yet anyway.'

He turned back to his food and saw his friends and Lily watching him with smiles on their faces. 'What?' he asked with a frown.

'You're so sweet together,' Lily enthused and Sirius looked disgusted.

'Cut it out, Evans,' he muttered, stabbing at his bacon.

She giggled and Peter grinned. 'Admit it, Padfoot, you've got it bad for her,' he teased and James and Remus chuckled.

'And you lot can give it a rest as well,' he snapped, glaring around at the other three Marauders. 'It's your damn fault I'm in this mess.'

They stopped smiling and looked confused. 'What mess?' Peter asked but Sirius shook his head, cursing himself for letting his confusion peek through.

'Nothing,' he muttered, throwing his fork down. 'Don't worry about it. I'm going to get some air.'

* * *

Sirius came back from his walk a little bit damp as it had started raining, but in a better mood. His friend's teasing had struck a raw nerve. He was uncomfortable with the way he was feeling: he liked Sarah, more than he'd liked any other girl before, and he felt like a complete shit that he had money riding on whether he got her into bed by a certain date.

He weighed up his options. On one hand, he wanted to call the bet off and just concentrate on whatever it was that was happening between him and Sarah. On the other, though, he didn't want to lose face; to admit that she had gotten under his skin. He sighed. Moony always said he was too proud for his own good.

_Maybe he's right._

He caught Sarah as she was coming out of the Dining Hall, taking her hand in his and feeling his heart skip a beat when she linked their fingers. 'If you could do anything today, what would you like to do?' he asked as they walked up flights of stairs and she looked taken aback.

'Um, the Canons are playing…' she began but Sirius laughed.

'Ok, if you could do _almost _anything?' he said and she smiled, sending a shot of heat straight to his groin.

She thought for a few minutes then smiled. 'You know, the thing I miss the most about home is being able to curl up on the couch with my quilt and some chocolate and watch videos or read. It's a great way to spend a day like this.'

Sirius frowned thoughtfully. She'd chosen the two things he really enjoyed as well: Quidditch and watching videos. Moony and Peter had introduced him and James to television and, when Sirius had gotten his own place this year, he'd bought a TV and video player.

And while curling up on a couch in a dark room with Sarah sounded fantastic, he wasn't sure whether that was going to work.

'No good?' she asked and he smiled ruefully.

'No. No, that sounds great. To tell you the truth, I was afraid you'd choose something a bit more girly.'

'What, like pillow fights with my underwear clad friends?' she said sardonically and he let out an reverential breath.

'Oh, why didn't you choose that?' he moaned and she smacked him with a giggle.

'No,' he said, chuckling. 'I meant those 'female' things. You know, nails, hair, facials and spas.' Her face went a bit pink and he grinned. 'You _did _think of that, didn't you?' he teased and she laughed.

'Yeah, ok,' she admitted. 'After the videos, I thought of that.' She raised an eyebrow at him. 'You were hoping to get your nails done with me?'

'No,' he said quickly. 'No. I said I was _afraid_ you might choose that. I'm pretty relieved you didn't.'

'So, what is all the speculation in aid of?' she asked and he smiled.

'Just me wanting to make your every wish come true, Sarah,' he said, squeezing her hand, completely unaware he'd just about melted her heart with his words. 'Walk with me and concentrate on the thing you really want to do today. Just trust me, alright?'

She nodded and paced with him, trying to focus her mind on what she wanted rather than the feel of his body as it brushed against hers.

'Stop,' he said and he pointed to the wall.

Sarah's mouth fell open as a door appeared. 'What…?' she said, turning to him.

'Behind this door will be whatever you were thinking of just then,' he said, opening the door.

They walked into the room and she saw an almost exact reproduction of her living room: couch, wallpaper, coffee table with an assortment of candies and chocolate. The only difference was that, instead of her TV and video player, there was a projector and a screen.

Sarah let out a relieved breath. With Sirius' body touching hers, her mind had kept drifting to a more carnal place than her living room and she was grateful that it hadn't been her bedroom that had been replicated.

'Close enough?' he said with a smile and she looked over at him and nodded.

'How did you know this room was here?' she asked and he winked.

'That, sweetheart, is something a prefect is better off not knowing,' he said and she laughed, flushing a little when he called her sweetheart. She kept telling herself that he probably called all 'his' women by the pet name but she almost turned into a puddle every time he said it in that smooth, sexy voice.

Sirius stretched out then pulled her down to lay on her side next to him on the couch which seemed to know to make itself wider.

'This is probably not the best position…' she began, head on his chest, but he murmured, 'Stop thinking, Patterson,' before he waved his wand at the projector.

The lamps dimmed automatically and the only light in the room was that which came bouncing off the screen. Sarah could feel Sirius' heart thumping under her cheek and the scent of him; clean and fresh with the hint of a spicy cologne, was making her tingle in places she didn't want to be tingling right now. Her breathing quickened and, from the speed that Sirius' heart was beating, she guessed that he wasn't unaffected by how close they were. He felt hot, she could feel it radiating from him and, as she tried to concentrate on the screen, his hand moved from her shoulder to bury itself in her hair, playing absently with the soft strands.

* * *

They really did try to focus on the movie but when, a few minutes later, the couch morphed into a bed, Sirius looked over at her and smiled guiltily.

'I think that might have been my lustful thoughts,' he apologised. 'You just…you smell so good. Sorry.'

'I don't know,' she whispered. 'It could have just as easily have been my thoughts that landed us here.'

He just looked at her for a moment then turned his body towards her. His hand raised to stroke her cheek and she smiled. Sirius couldn't help his own smile, nor the words that slipped out.

'You're so beautiful, Sarah,' he said softly.

He shifted a little, moving his face closer to hers, and kissed her hesitantly. lightly and Sarah understood that he was letting her lead, letting her decide what was going to happen. She pressed their lips together more firmly and opened her mouth, hearing his grateful moan. Their tongues tangled and arms drew each other closer.

For long minutes, they were content to kiss; to touch tentatively until Sirius groaned and pulled his lips away, kissing down her cheek, then pressing his face into her neck. Sarah felt his open mouth pressing against her pulse point and shivered. Her hands moved to his hair, running her fingers through the thick locks. She kissed his temple, his forehead then, surprising both of them with her forwardness, she pushed him onto his back and shifted over him, cupping his cheeks. She'd admired the planes and textures of his face for years now and refused to not take advantage of this situation to learn more.

Sirius lay still, letting her lips move over his skin. Sarah pressed her lips to every single inch of his face, her tongue lightly tasting until he was trembling. No woman had ever given him such rapt attention before - not his face anyway - and he found this to be the most erotic thing anyone had ever done to him. Her warm breath; her hair ticking his cheek; her soft lips branding him as hers…

He felt a little shiver of panic. Unfamiliar emotions were welling up inside him and, as her lips tenderly explored him, he found himself wanting to say things that he'd never wanted to say before. When Sarah sucked a little skin from his neck into her mouth, he let out a desperate moan, needing to touch her, to make her feel this good. He slid his hands up under her shirt and over a breast and she stopped, pulling away.

'I…I don't think I can do this,' she whispered. 'Not yet. It's a bit…'

'Soon?' he said and she nodded, biting her lip as waited for his reaction.

She had surprised herself by pulling away. Although her intention was to lead him on then refuse to consummate so he'd lose the bet, she'd allowed herself to get a bit carried away. Her body was screaming at her to shut the hell up and let him fuck her into the floor but her brain, bless it, had taken over when she needed it to.

'I think so too,' he said and she pulled further back, checking his eyes for the hint of a lie, but he looked sincere and she smiled.

'Sorry...,' she began but he shook his head.

'There are two people here, Sarah,' he said softly, brushing her hair away from her face. 'And we've _both_ decided that it's too soon. There's no need to apologise for anything.'

He could see surprise in her eyes but no disappointment or judgement. In fact, there may have been a flash of the respect she said she'd never feel for him.

'So…' she said, uncertainly. 'Do you really want to watch the movie?'

'Just…talk to me,' he said with a chuckle. 'I don't care what about - just tell me about you. Anything. Everything. That's all I want right now.'

**A/N: Just a little more to the left...nearly...nearly...that's it! The blue review button! Click it...click it now!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for all reviews guys- I try to reply personally to everyone but will post any messages to reviewers not signed in on the next chapter. **

**So to **_**hotnessmonster**_**: thanks for your review. Very concise and much appreciated! Cheers and keep them coming!**

**WARNING: Sweet as sugar Sirius - brush your teeth after you read this or they'll rot! Oh, I wish he was mine. He could come and live in my cupboard with Remus and they could spend the day playing naked ... right, um, you read the fic while I go and have a cold shower.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

The Three Words He Never Thought He'd Say

Over the following days, they spent every available minute together, Sirius sulking when he saw her study time as time they should be with each other as well but the more responsible Ravenclaw disagreed. When he continued complaining that he wanted to see her, Sarah told him that he'd just have to come with her and, to James' absolute horror, Sirius started to join her in the library. He was supposedly studying but usually just doodled absently on his parchment. Once, she'd caught sight of it before he threw it out, and was surprised and touched that her initials featured prominently on the paper, with little flourishes around them.

'What do you want to do after you've finished school?' he asked on Thursday night, with only three weeks left until the bet deadline.

Sarah glanced up and looked at him over her mountain of books. He'd been so quiet until now that she had jumped a little when he spoke.

'I applied for an internship in the Ministry at the beginning of the year,' she said, leaning back, surreptitiously trying to see what he'd been scribbling on the parchment tonight.

He oh-so-casually covered the paper with his hands when he saw her peeking. 'Doing what?' he asked and she looked up at his face, seeing the slight flush over his cheekbones.

'Junior assistant in the Minister's office,' she told him, checking the time and closing her books when she saw it was nearly curfew. 'They take a new person on every year and I…I got accepted. As long as my marks don't drastically change …'

She shrugged and he smiled. 'But that's a big deal, isn't it?' he asked, leaning towards her. 'I haven't heard of anyone getting accepted before they finished school.'

'Don't know,' she mumbled, going a little pink as she packed up her books. 'S'pose.'

His grin broadened and he was slightly taken aback by how proud he felt. His girlfriend had been accepted into the highly desirable position a year early - she must be even more brilliant than he thought if the Ministry was snapping her up so quickly. He lost his smile for a second when he realised he'd thought of her as his girlfriend again.

_NOT my girlfriend. God, Sarah and her incredible lips just keep messing with my head._

'Are you staying? Have I converted you to the wonders of being prepared for class?' she asked, breaking through his reverie.

He saw she'd packed up and hastily threw his books into his bag. 'Never,' he said with a smile, snatching the parchment off the desk and walking beside her out of the library.

'What are you going to do?' she asked. 'After school.'

'I'm not sure,' he admitted. 'James wants to apply to be an Auror so I could do that if my marks are good enough.'

Sarah smiled. 'It _is _very annoying that you manage to get decent grades without cracking open a book,' she muttered and he put his arm around her with a smirk.

'Just naturally talented,' he bragged and heard her murmur, 'Yes you are.'

Her double entendre was obvious and he was delighted, squeezing her waist. 'You've been hanging around me too much,' he laughed. 'You've developed a filthy mind.'

'I could hardly have helped it with the path your mind is constantly fixed on,' she retorted and he kissed her cheek, making it deliberately sloppy.

'Gross, Black,' she squealed, pushing him away.

The parchment he held slipped from his grasp and fluttered to the ground. Sarah picked it up before he could stop her, holding it out of his reach with a laugh.

'No,' she said, turning away from him. 'I want to see what you've been up to since you're obviously far too cool to study.'

She unfolded the parchment, fending off his attempts to grab it off her. Her amusement faded, though, when she saw what he'd been doing and she looked up at him, seeing his face turn red.

'It's not very good,' he mumbled, trying to take it off her again but she turned her body so it was out of his grasp.

'It's amazing,' she said, looking back down at the parchment. 'Sirius, it's…'

She shook her head and just stared at the sketch he'd been working on. It was her - he'd captured her face while she was studying. She swallowed hard. He'd obviously put a lot of effort into it - it wasn't a hastily put together drawing. It was precise; every stroke of the quill carefully considered, with a warmth that made it come to life. It was simple but he'd made her look beautiful.

'It's not finished,' he explained, looking critically at it. 'I…you weren't meant to see it until I'd finished. You weren't meant to see it at all, actually.'

'Why didn't you say you could draw?' she said softly, unable to take her eyes off the sketch.

He shrugged. 'Never came up,' he replied, then bit his lip, feeling an insecurity he hadn't felt since his first trip to Hogwarts. 'You…really like it? Don't try and…spare my feelings or anything, if it's rubbish I'd rather you said…'

'Sirius, it's wonderful,' she told him staring at the parchment as, for the first time, she struggled to communicate. 'It's…you made me look…'

'Beautiful,' he said softly, staring at her. 'I can't take credit for that. I'm only drawing what I see, Sarah.'

She looked up at him and he gave her a little smile, his grey eyes dark and watching her with an intensity that made her shiver.

_Could he really look at me like that, say those things to me, just for a bet?_

She was unable to put her muddled thoughts together and instead chose to allow her actions to speak louder than words ever could as she kissed him, quickly deepening it. Her arms slipped around his neck and she pressed herself close. Her book bag slid down her arm and she shook it off, hearing it hit the floor hard.

A second thump told her Sirius had dropped his bag as well, confirmed when he wrapped his arms around her hips and held her to him, kissing her back urgently.

They heard a wolf whistle and looked up to see some Sixth Years walking past. They glared at them as they pulled apart then picked up their bags.

Sirius grinned. 'I wish you'd told me that showing you my etchings would do it for you,' he said, his voice hoarse. 'I would have put on a showing weeks ago.' Sarah smiled somewhat distractedly as she fought an inner battle.

_Take the chance. Go up to his room. Let him do what you both want him to do._

That was her heart talking -- or was it her hormones -- screaming for her to let him in. She wasn't used to listening to anything other than her brain which now kicked in with it's own opinion.

_No. He's only doing this for a bet. He'll break your heart._

She bit her lip: her heart or her head? Which should she trust?

'Sar?' he said, seeing her frown.

She took a calming breath when she made her decision, feeling her heart race as she touched his shirt lightly and whispered, 'You know, I've never seen Gryffindor Tower.'

She chanced a glance up at his face and saw his grey eyes widen. 'No,' he breathed. 'You haven't. Would…would you like to see it tonight?'

Sarah nodded and he felt his already turgid cock become rock hard. 'O…Ok,' he stammered, annoyed that he was so nervous.

He was far from a virgin - why the hell was the thought of taking the next step with Sarah so scary?

_This is what I wanted. This is what I'm supposed to be doing - getting her into bed. Get over it, Black and fuck her senseless._

* * *

He took her hand and they walked to his Common Room, getting a dirty look from the Fat Lady portrait as they woke her. The common room was nearly deserted - a few of his classmates looking up and smirking when they saw Sarah.

'Come on,' he said, frowning at them before leading her up the stairs.

He was relieved that no one was in the room, though he heard the water running in the adjoining shower. 'My, um, bed is…'

'No,' she said quickly. 'Let me guess.'

He smiled and watched her examine the beds. 'Remus,' she said immediately, pointing at the werewolf's bed.

'Should I be jealous that you knew which was his straight away?' he asked, feeling an uncomfortable gnawing in his stomach as he remembered Remus saying what a good kisser Sarah was.

'The books gave him away,' she told him, indicating the stack of reading material on the side table.

'Frank.' She pointed to Frank 'Mr Herbology' Longbottoms' bed and Sirius guessed the plant on the side table had let her to that conclusion.

'Peter.' She pointed at the bed with the candy wrappers piled up next to it.

She turned to stare at the two remaining side by side beds. She moved over and stood between them then sat on his.

'Yours,' she said confidently. 'Do I _want_ to know how many other girls have sat in this very spot?'

'No,' he answered then asked her, 'How did you know?'

'Could it be that it wasn't made properly?' she teased. 'Or all the Quidditch magazines…?'

'Could have been James',' he said and she smiled.

'It smells like you,' she told him and his face lit up with a smile.

'Is that good or bad?' he asked, sniffing loudly and she chuckled.

'Very good,' she said softly, then pulled his face to hers.

He stopped just short of her lips and said quietly, 'No other girl has been in my bed. You're the first,' seeing her look of surprise before he closed the distance between their mouths.

* * *

They fell back onto the bed, quickly taking up from where they'd left off in the corridor. Vaguely, Sirius heard the shower turn off and pushed himself off Sarah.

'Hang on,' he said, pulling his wand out of his pocket and waving it.

The curtain flew closed and all outside noise disappeared. He looked down at Sarah with her mussed up hair and her kiss swollen lips and felt his chest squeeze tight. He pressed his mouth back to hers, softly, letting it get needier as his hands wandered, tracing the soft curves of her body. He felt her hands exploring him as well, coming up under the back of his t-shirt and tracing up his spine, sending a violent tremor through him.

'Sirius,' she whispered, tugging at his shirt and his breath caught at the sound of his name coming so tremulously from her lips. He raised himself up and pulled the shirt over his head, dropping back onto her and again claiming her lips.

Her hands didn't hesitate, running down the bare skin of his back, then sliding around to run up his arms. Sirius groaned a little at the sensation of her hands heating his flesh and his lips left hers, pressing against her jaw then moving down her neck. Sarah's head fell back, allowing him easier access and shivered when she felt his hands come up under her shirt.

She pushed him off her chest and, together, they pulled her shirt off. Sirius bit his lip when he saw her cream coloured skin, her breasts rising and falling quickly with each breath. He wanted so desperately to tear the rest of her clothes off and sink inside her but the now all too familiar feeling of guilt began to bite at him and he groaned in frustration.

'Damn it,' he muttered and Sarah frowned.

'What?' she asked and he looked at her, debating. He really wanted to touch her, to be with her but his guilt over the still running bet ate at him.

_Bloody James and his bloody bet -- stopping me getting laid._

He took a breath and uttered three words he'd never thought he'd hear himself say to a half naked woman.

'I'm not ready.'

* * *

Sarah's frown deepened and she sat up. 'You're not ready? _You're_ not ready?' she said disbelievingly. 'Aren't you _always _ready?'

He smiled grimly and sat back on the bed. 'I'm sorry,' he said.

_You have no idea how sorry I am._

'I…maybe we could just fool around a bit?' he muttered. 'Get to know each other a bit better, you know... physically before we...go further?'

'Ok,' she said uncertainly then crossed her arms over her chest, not sure if she was happy or insulted by this turn of events.

'Is it me?' she asked softly. 'If it is, you should tell me. I'm not very good at this and if I'm doing something wrong, or if you don't find me as attractive…'

He stopped her words, very effectively, by kissing her and falling backwards onto the bed. 'Baby, I want you so badly,' he murmured, pressing nibbling kisses down her throat.

Now that he'd made the decision to not have sex tonight, he felt freer to explore without expectations and nerves inhibiting them. His hand moved to cup her breast, running a thumb over her taut nipple, then moaning when he heard her sharp intake of breath.

'Sarah, I have never wanted anyone like this,' he whispered, letting his lips moved over the rounded flesh above her pink bra. 'I've never wanted to go slow.'

He looked up and saw her watching him. 'But I don't want to rush this. This is different. _You_ are different.'

He was surprised by the flash of guilt he saw in her eyes. 'Do you want me to stop?' he asked, confused as to why she'd feel guilty.

'No,' she said softly. 'I'll do whatever you're comfortable with.'

He smiled and lowered his head to her lips. 'Leaving me with a lot of scope there,' he whispered and Sarah grinned.

'Sex or not, you've got a reputation to live up to, Black,' she said, reaching up to tangle her fingers in those soft black tresses. 'So how about you stop talking and get on with it?'


	15. Chapter 15

**Hiya! Frustrated yet? Not as frustrated as Sarah and Sirius, I bet! :-) Find out what they did get up to after Sirius said no (Can you believe it?)**

**Thanks for all the reviews. Hit the hundred mark today! Yay! Only a few chapters left in this fic so enjoy!**

**Oops! Nearly forgot. Thanks to _Mrs Hewer_ for your review. Very concise! :-)**

**If you got another alert for this, sorry. Thanks to THE FLEAKS for pointing out a slight error. All fixed now!**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

The Near Confession

Sirius stretched as he woke the next morning, opening his blurry eyes to see James, Remus and Peter staring down at him.

'Well?' James demanded, hands on hips and sounding a lot like a fishwife.

'Well, what?' Sirius croaked, barely awake, let alone alert enough to be able to comprehend what it was they were talking about.

'Sarah!' Peter almost yelled. 'We know she was in here with you last night. Did you do it? Did you win?'

Sirius sat up, yawning and wondering what the hell he was going to say. He couldn't tell them the truth: that the man who had never knocked back a fuck had last night told a very willing partner 'no'.

* * *

After they'd decided sex was off the menu for the night, he and Sarah had 'played'; all the action staying clear of the areas they most wanted to give attention to, but he wasn't sorry. Instead of having sex, they kissed - really kissed. Slow, deep, soul shaking kisses that he'd never experienced before but that he found infinitely more arousing and exciting than any kind of sex he'd ever had. They explored each other with no haste; no rush to get to the main show.

Sirius now knew what almost every inch of her body tasted like; how it felt under his fingertips. He knew almost every spot that made her giggle; almost all the hot spots that made her suck in her breath sharply. He knew how much pressure to apply when he bit down on her neck before it became uncomfortable; knew not to put his tongue in her ear, but to nibble her ear lobe gently; that she didn't like him trying to suck on her toe, but that she almost came when he did it to her fingers.

He knew she responded to him like nothing he'd ever known before: that she could melt under his touch like chocolate in the sun, or react like fire - burning hot and fierce.

And he knew that he'd never gotten more pleasure from anything than he had from simply touching her and seeing the bliss on her face.

* * *

'Nothing happened,' he said now, shoving Peter out of the way so he could get up. 'We fooled around a bit then she went back to her room. Your money's safe for now. Nothing happened.'

Peter looked as though someone had socked him in the face, James frowned and Remus looked curious.

'Why not?' he asked and Sirius looked at the werewolf.

'I've still got time,' Sirius said with a forced grin, not answering the question. 'I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this before it's over.'

He lost his smile when he thought about what he just said. The bet had a finish date, but that didn't mean Sarah and he had to finish, did it?

_Shit. I don't want this to be just a shag to win a bet. I don't want this to end._

'I'm going to...' He waved towards the bathroom and walked past his friends, unaware of their eyes on him as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

James turned to Remus. 'He really likes her, doesn't he?' he said and Remus nodded.

'He admitted he liked her the other day but tried to pass it off as lust but…yeah. I think he's fallen for her. '

'Should I call it off?' James asked the other boys. 'I offered earlier and he said no but if he's really fallen for her…'

'He won't let you,' Remus said with a sigh. 'You know what he's like - him and his bloody precious reputation.'

'He's never been with a girl this long and not shagged her,' Peter said with a confused frown. 'Maybe she doesn't want to?'

'Or maybe _he _doesn't want to,' Remus mused, looking from Peter to James. 'He usually takes great pleasure in telling us every detail of his sex life, but he's told us almost nothing since they kissed before Christmas. Would the old Pads really have walked off after giving us "we fooled around" just now?'

James nodded. 'He won't back down from the bet,' he said. 'He's got this thing in his head that we all would think less of him if he was anything other than an arrogant, skirt chaser. But Sarah's been good for him. He's not as restless now. He's only had one detention since he started seeing her.'

He looked at Remus, who seemed to be better at this stuff, for guidance. 'So, should we just let him keep going? Let the bet run?'

Remus frowned then nodded. 'Yeah,' he said with a nod. 'Every time we suggest he likes her, he gets all defensive. He's a big boy now. I think he's going to have to work this one out for himself.'

* * *

'You came in late last night, Miss Prefect,' Kate said over breakfast, grinning at Sarah.

The blonde smiled. 'Stop fishing, Kate,' she said, tearing her toast apart rather than eating it. 'Nothing happened.'

Not strictly true - something had happened. She'd done the one thing she had sworn to herself she would not do. She'd fallen for Sirius Black.

Hard.

Last night had been…incredible. When Sirius told her he wasn't ready, she'd been disappointed but pleased he wasn't jumping into her pants as soon as he was given a green light - it had given her some hope that he might care for her the same way she now cared for him. And when he told her she was different; that what was between them was different…if that had been just a line, then she'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

Somehow, though, she didn't think it was. His eyes didn't lie.

She felt guilty that she wasn't honest with him; that she didn't tell him that she knew about the bet but then, neither had he, and he still had time…he still had a couple of weeks to fuck her, claim his winnings then dump her

_If he doesn't sleep with me; if he keeps putting it off until time's up, maybe it means he really cares about me and not the bet. _

She sighed. She was so conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to hate him for objectifying her; for betting on her and using her for his own end. But on the other: she couldn't reconcile that man she'd so despised with the one that had been so gentle and tender with her last night.

Her eyes closed as she remembered the feel of his body against hers; his chest pressing against her breasts; hands in her hair as he kissed her in a way she'd never been kissed before.

_A kiss is really not just a kiss. That was something else entirely._

She had melted, lying boneless under the gentle onslaught of his mouth. He had asked before he let his mouth and hands wander then, staying away from the underwear clad areas as he touched every single inch of exposed skin.

Her breath caught when she recalled the sensation of his lips on her stomach, tongue dipping inside her navel and making her body jerk. But as amazing as that had been, it had felt even better when she helped him pull his jeans off and he lay shaking under her mouth and hands. His reaction to her touch was blatantly obvious under his boxers and she had to admit, his response made her feel powerful. She had never spent as much time getting to know someone's body as she had last night and she now knew him pretty well.

She knew that he made a growling noise in his throat when she bit his nipple lightly; she knew that he was very ticklish around his ribs, just under his arm; she knew that the inside of his wrist was an unexpected pleasure point - discovered after she ran her tongue over the pulse and drew a loud moan from him.

Sarah could feel herself getting hot as she thought about the different textures of his body: the velvet soft skin under his arm; the hardness of the defined muscles that tensed when she ran her tongue over his stomach; the changes in texture of his hair sprinkled legs as she drew her hands slowly from ankle to thigh.

He had different moans: the little one that escaped when something pleased him; a louder, lower moan that she heard when she licked the skin his neck - that one that meant 'don't stop'; and then there was the one that sent fire burning through her - the low, deep, guttural moan that sounded as though it had been ripped from his chest.

That was the moan that had made her want to tear those boxers off; the one that made them both decide to call it a night.

* * *

She squirmed on her seat, her body craving release from the tension her thoughts had created, then jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Hi,' Sirius said as he sat down next to her.

'Hi,' she said, unable to meet his eye. She knew her cheeks were tinged pink and that he'd be able to see the desire in her eyes.

'Hey,' he said softly and she turned her head to see concerned grey eyes. 'Are you alright?' She nodded and he smiled. 'I had a nice time last night,' he said very softly as he leaned close.

'So did I,' she whispered back and his smile broadened.

'I, um, was wondering if I could see Ravenclaw Tower tonight,' he said a little uncertainly. 'It seems only fair since you've seen where I live.'

Sarah smiled. 'You show me yours, I'll show you mine?' she teased and he chuckled.

'We could do that too,' he said, mischievously and she nodded.

'Come up after dinner,' she said.

He smiled, then leaned forward and kissed her quickly. 'I had a _very _good time last night,' he whispered and kissed her again, letting it linger for a bit longer than was appropriate for breakfast.

'Get a room!' The shout came from the Slytherin table and Sirius glared over at the big nosed boy that had yelled it out, half rising from the bench.

'Don't,' Sarah said, shaking her head. She knew he and Snape had some kind of war raging on and didn't want to be a part of it. 'You don't want a detention tonight. Just ignore him.'

He continued to glare at the smirking Slytherin for another second then turned back to her.

'I'll see you later,' he said with a tight smile and she nodded.

* * *

It wasn't until just before dinner that Remus found her in the library. 'Sarah,' he said, puffing a bit. 'I've been looking for you. Sirius can't meet you. He is in the hospital wing. Been there since just after lunch.'

Sarah's eyes widened and grabbed the werewolf's arm. 'Why? Is he alright?' she asked, urgently.

Remus nodded. 'Snape hit him with a Stunner,' he told her. 'Sirius hit his head on the stone wall on the way down. He'll be alright - I just thought you'd want to know.'

She gathered her books and they walked quickly to the hospital wing. 'Why did Snape stun him?' she asked and Remus looked a bit shifty.

'Um, I think they were arguing,' he said vaguely. 'I'm not really sure.'

When they got to the Hospital Wing, James and Peter were there laughing at something and Sirius turned to smile at them, a bandage on his head.

'Sarah!' he called, putting his hand to his forehead dramatically, ignorant to her rising fury. 'Come. Give me one last kiss before I pass into the afterlife!'

Sarah stopped at the foot of the bed and glared at him. She'd been worried. _Really_ worried, but he was obviously fine and at that moment, Sarah could completely understand how Snape would have found the desire to Stun him irresistible.

'What did you do to Snape to get him to Stun you?' she snapped and he frowned.

'He deserved it,' he replied and she walked around to the side of the bed.

'Is this about what he said this morning?' she asked and he clenched his jaw, refusing to answer.

'You are such an ass,' she said contemptuously as she sat down in the chair next to the bed.

'Not exactly the sympathy I was hoping for, Sarah,' he told her.

'Tough,' she spat. 'If you want sympathy for something you probably thoroughly deserved, get your friends to go and collect some fan girls. I'm sure _they'll _be happy to massage your fragile ego - amongst other things.'

They glared at each other for a few moments then Sirius turned to the three boys who were watching the exchange with wide eyes. 'Can you lot give us a few minutes alone?' he asked and they nearly fell over each other as they moved hastily to the door.

Sirius looked back at Sarah and saw the concern she was trying to hide in her eyes. 'Are you _alright_?' she asked grudgingly, sounding as if she was put out by having to ask.

'Yes,' he muttered sulkily, crossing his arms across his chest. 'Thanks for your concern, Sarah. It's nice to know I can count on my… you for support and comfort.'

_I need to stop thinking of her as my girlfriend._

'I _would _comfort you if you hadn't bought it on yourself,' she said, standing up and moving towards the bed. 'I don't understand why you feel the need to hex everything in sight for a laugh.'

Her voice had risen and he sat up, on the defensive. 'I was _trying _to ignore him but he called you…' Sirius bit his lip.

Sarah, anger at him fading, stared at him. 'What?' she said.

When he didn't answer, she said again in a hard voice, 'What did he say, Black?'

Sirius looked up, irritated she'd called him by his surname. 'He just said something about the _Ice Princess_ being my latest…fuck,' he mumbled and he saw a muscle in her jaw tense.

'Well, it's not _un_true,' she said softly. 'Except for the fucking part. We haven't gotten around to that yet.'

'_It's not true_,' he snapped, and Sarah was surprised by the anger in his voice; the darkness of his eyes. 'You are _not _my latest fuck. And he's lucky I didn't smash his smug fucking face in.'

Sarah looked a little taken aback by this side of him and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. 'Sorry,' he said, contritely. 'But, Sarah, he can't say things like that about you, call you that name. I won't allow it.'

Sarah sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. 'Sirius, you've never had a steady girl for as long as I've known you,' she said softly, picking at a seam on her skirt. 'You love the chase then get bored once you've got the prize. I'm under no illusions that I'm going to be any different to every other girl you've dated. And _you've _called me that name.'

There was silence then Sirius said softly, 'You are nothing like an ice princess. You are nothing like anyone I've ever dated. It's only ever been about…sex with the others. I've never done what we did last night with anyone else. I've never wanted to.'

She looked up at him and softened when she saw the earnestness in his face. He closed his eyes then as he opened them, he said, 'Sarah, there's something I have to tell you…'

'Right, Mr Black,' Madame Pomfrey said, opening the curtains with a flourish and startling them. 'You may go. Miss Patterson, pop outside and wait for him while he dresses, please.'

She did, cursing the nurse's interruption.

_Was he about to confess about the bet? _

He appeared fully dressed with a smile. 'Ready for dinner?' he asked and she nodded.

He put his arm around her and as they walked away, she said, 'What were you going to tell me?'

Sirius stiffened for a second then pulled her closer to him. 'Can't remember,' he told her. 'Nothing important.'

**Review, review, review! PLEASE?!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. Your feedback is sooo appreciated. I do feel a little sorry for Madame Pomfrey though - poor woman has had a number of death threats made against her over the last twenty four hours. :-)**

**Again, thanks to _Mrs Hewer _for your review_: _****here's the next chapter - don't die! ****J**

**WARNING: SMUT! Now, I know you don't really want to read SMUT so I'll understand if you want to skip this SMUT only chapter... What's that you say? Shut up and let us read? Oh, ok then but I expect reviews from everyone who reads if you want more.**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The Next Step

'So, does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?' Sirius asked then let out a sharp breath as her tongue flicked over his nipple.

'I'm furious,' she teased, kissing her way across his chest as her hand slid over his ribs. 'This is how I punish you.'

He laughed then bit his lip as she turned her attention to his other nipple and his eyes closed. There was a week to go until the deadline and he and Sarah were making up after their latest stoush the day before.

* * *

_He'd cursed Snivellus again, this time Scourifying his mouth after the greasy boy had made a comment about how desperate he must be 'if the Ice Princess is the best you can get. Has your dick snapped off yet?' _

_The next time the Slytherin had opened his big mouth, a steady stream of bubbles had poured out. _

_Sarah had been pissed off. 'I don't give a rat's ass what he says about me, Black,' she'd fumed when he tried to explain. 'Just stop hexing him.'_

_But he'd been forgiven this morning after he pressed an apologetic kiss to the back of her neck at breakfast. _

'_You are an ass,' she'd muttered, but he knew her anger had faded when he saw the smile she tried to bite back._

* * *

'If this is how you discipline, I must hex Snape more often,' he murmured now, hearing her chuckle then his eyes snapped open as her hand closed around the thick bulge in his pants.

He let out a long breath then moaned when her fingers moved to unbutton his fly. 'Sar,' he whispered, desperately wanting her to continue but having come to a decision already. 'Sar, stop.'

'Nope,' she mumbled, her mouth moving down to nip his belly.

He let her undo his button then unzip his fly, her hand brushing teasingly over his cock. A strangled moan slipped from his lips then he reluctantly put his hands over hers to halt her actions.

'We talked about this,' he began and she raised her face to his.

'We did,' she agreed. 'And we said we wouldn't have sex until you were more comfortable…then I swore to cut my tongue out if I told anyone that the king of sex was wanting to wait.'

He chuckled even as he turned pink. He was happy with the choice he'd now made to throw the bet, but was still a little embarrassed that he'd been the one to say no.

'But I'm assuming sex means…sex. You know…For God's sake, Sirius, if you make me explain it…'

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. 'But you turn such a pretty pink when you're explaining the birds and the bees to me,' he teased then winced when she pinched him.

'So, did you mean sex or any kind of…relief?' she asked, her hand moving back and forwards over the front of his pants as he thought.

The bet had been to get Sarah into his bed and shag her. A bit of groping and mutual relief wasn't shagging, right? James had been specific: proper, my bits in her bits, sex was the only way to win this bet.

He smiled at her and she took that as a 'go ahead'. She kissed him then heard him groan as her hand slipped into his jeans.

'Sar, are you sure you want…?' he began but she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and pulled them down.

'I'm sure,' she said firmly and smiled when he eagerly helped her kick the pants off.

Sarah leaned over and kissed him, moaning when his hand threaded through her hair. Her palm rubbed over the front of his boxers, creating a friction that soon made Sirius begin to squirm.

'Sarah, I'm not going to last very long if you keep doing that,' he muttered, flushing at the admission but not wanting to embarrass himself completely by coming in his pants and missing out on feeling her hand on him.

She stopped rubbing, her mouth shifting down to his stomach. She tugged on his underwear, pulling the garment down to his knees and he felt her smile against his hip.

'_That _rumour is true then,' she whispered and he chuckled then drew in breath sharply when he felt hot air being blown across the head of his cock.

_God Almighty, she's not going to…_

'Sar, you don't have to…,' he gasped then let out a long, grateful moan when her mouth closed over his dick.

He tried to restrain himself; to not thrust up into that softness. But the heated warmth of her mouth slid down until she was taking a good deal of his length inside and, when she added some suction and swept her tongue over the tip, he swore loudly and gripped her hair, fucking her mouth shallowly.

It was the shortest blow job he'd ever experienced - once she did some kind of incredible twisting thing with her tongue, he knew it was just about over for him.

'Sarah,' he whispered harshly, all too soon. 'I'm going to come, sweetheart.'

She moaned around his cock and the vibrations that shot through his cock were his complete undoing, letting out a loud cry as his orgasm burst from him. His mind went blank and, although it felt as though his climax went on forever, forever was not nearly long enough to enjoy it all. It had never felt this good before...

* * *

He was panting when he felt her move then opened his eyes as he heard a chuckle. He saw her amused face next to his and managed to gather enough strength to roll over and face her.

'Where the hell did you learn how to do that?' he asked roughly, then shook his head vigorously. 'No, don't tell me. I don't want to know because then you'll just yell at me for hexing people again.'

'Jeez, if _I _hexed everyone _you'd _been with, I'd have no time for anything else,' she muttered and he chuckled and pulled her close, kissing her long and with a rising passion when he tasted himself on her tongue.

His fingers moved to undo her bra, tearing his mouth from hers once it was loose and lowering his head to lick at her nipple. The light touch made her gasp and arch up towards his mouth, eager for his touch. Sirius obliged, cupping her breast then sucking her nipple into his mouth, curling his tongue around it. Her moan urged him on and sent a renewed surge of desire through him.

'Shit,' he mumbled, feeling his cock begin to harden again.

* * *

He hadn't argued when she dealt with his needs first - not because he was selfish or impatient, but because he was concerned he'd lose his damn mind if he touched her while he was so aroused. He didn't want to have to try and resist the temptation to fuck her senseless because he knew he wouldn't be able to.

_I have never wanted anyone like this._

He'd decided after his hospital visit that he didn't want to win the bet. He didn't want there to be any misunderstandings if Sarah ever found out about the wager between he and James. He wasn't here because of the money anymore. He was here because…well, because he thought he might just be kind of, sort of…in love with Sarah.

Having never felt like this before, he couldn't be sure if it was love but he wasn't going to take a chance on fucking up the best thing that ever happened to him.

* * *

He slid his fingers under the elastic of her knickers. 'Sirius,' she whispered and the sound of her voice calling to him made his heart pump even harder.

'Do you want me to stop?' he asked, hesitating before shifting his mouth to her other breast.

'No,' she said, a little nervous about him seeing her naked.

He smiled then kissed her lips as he slowly drew her knickers down her legs. Shifting, he pulled them completely off then looked down at her, for a few moments, having trouble gathering oxygen into his lungs. He ran a hand up over her hip, dipping in at her waist then over the gentle curve of her stomach.

She was heaven. This was heaven.

Sarah felt his grey eyes burning over her body and tried to resist the urge to cover herself. 'Sirius,' she said again.

He looked up at her and she was rendered speechless by the combined look of utter longing and adoration in his eyes. He moved to kiss her and she felt him shaking.

'You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,' he said, with such simplicity and sincerity that she didn't doubt him for a second.

To her embarrassment, tears filled her eyes and it was right then that she realised that she loved him.

_Damn it!_

'Sar?' he said softly, touching a glistening tear as it ran down her cheek.

'I'm just…being a girl,' she muttered, reaching up to wipe at her face but he caught her hand.

'No,' he said with a little smile, using his thumb to wipe the tears away. 'I'm too macho to cry but it doesn't mean I don't feel this too. We're really good together, Sar. I…I've never felt like this about anyone.'

Sarah swallowed hard and blinked. 'No one…no one's called me beautiful before,' she said and he could see all the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. 'Just you.'

'Good,' he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly. 'I won't have to piss you off by hexing anyone.'

She laughed and Sirius grinned before kissing her again. The laughter faded as the kiss got intense and his mouth began to move lower, lavishing attention on her breasts as his hand slid slowly up her thigh. When she parted her legs to allow him access, he moaned then shifted his hand to stroke lightly over the slick crease of her sex. He was boosted when she almost leapt off the bed, biting her lip to stop herself crying out. His finger wriggled deeper, sliding inside her tight body carefully.

Her long, drawn out moan very nearly made him come on the spot and he let out his own groan of satisfaction and desire. His thumb went to her clit, circling slowly but firmly as he used two of his fingers to imitate the thrusting motion his pelvis was unconsciously making against the bed, the friction of the sheets against his cock slowly moving him closer to release.

He moved his mouth lower, pressing open mouth kissing over her stomach. Sirius felt Sarah tense but was too turned on, too needy to ask if she wanted him to stop. Figuring she'd tell him if she didn't like what he was doing, he slid lower down the bed and pressed his lips to her thigh, pushing her legs further apart. He heard her make a hissing noise then he moved his hand and replaced his fingers with his tentative tongue.

Sarah let out a surprised cry as he gave her the most intimate of kisses but, as he stroked her clit, she lost any inhibitions or reservations she might have had. Grasping his hair tight, she moaned her approval as he used his tongue as a tiny phallus, pushing it inside her, and, when he sucked her hard clit into his mouth, she let out a rough, ragged groan, arching off the bed as the most powerful orgasm she'd ever experienced rocked her entire being.

Sirius felt the spasms start and a corresponding reaction sparked in his own body. He cried out into her as the friction of the sheets against his cock and the sight and sound of her release undid him for a second time, hips thrusting hard into the mattress as he came with her.

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	17. Chapter 17

**Ok, not so much smut as sweet this chappie. Oh, I wish he was mine. Sigh! I promise, smut for the final two chapters! HOT HOT SMUT!**

**Thanks again to _Mrs Hewer _****for your review! Sorry I can't reply personally. Hope you like this chappie!**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

The _Other_ Three Little Words He Thought He'd Never Say

He walked her back to Ravenclaw Tower, spending several minutes saying a long goodnight up against the wall next to the entry.

'Gotta go,' she murmured as his lips shifted to her neck.

'Mmm,' he mumbled then raised his head with a sigh and checked his watch. 'Your goody two shoes thing is rubbing off on me. I'll be back in bed right on curfew. You know I'll be kicked out of the Marauders if I keep this up.'

She chuckled and the smile he couldn't seem to keep off his face broadened. 'That was a pretty amazing night,' he said, flushing a little.

Sarah grinned, her own face going pink. 'Yeah, it was,' she mumbled in agreement. 'I…I've never done that before. I've never…'

She shrugged and he looked a bit amazed. 'You've _never _done that? Ever?'

She shook her head and he groaned, pressing his forehead to hers. 'Sar, it was incredible, sweetheart. I don't know what I'm going to do once you've had some practice,' he said softly, shivering a little at the thought of being the first man she'd put her mouth on. 'You turn me on so badly…'

He looked at her, hands moving from her hands up her arms to cup her face. 'Come and spend some time at my flat over the holidays,' he asked, spontaneously, not wanting to be apart from her for any longer than necessary. 'It'll just be you and me. We can get up to all sorts of mischief.'

Sarah felt a smile spread across her face.

_He wants to spend time with me AFTER the bet finishes. Merlin, could he really care about me like he said?_

'I'd like that,' she said softly and he grinned, kissing her again then nuzzling the side of her face.

'That was a first for me tonight too,' he admitted quietly into her ear.

'What? Getting off with the bed?' she teased and he snorted, shifting so he could bite her lip lightly in rebuke.

'No, you cheeky cow,' he retorted, a bit embarrassed that he'd lost complete control tonight.

_Coming all over the bed was not my finest hour._

'With you. What I did. I…I've never done that before.'

And he hadn't. He'd never been with the same girl more than twice and it was such a personal act and…well, to be honest, he'd never really _wanted _to be that intimate with a woman. That was before tonight, though. Tonight, he hadn't hesitated for a second, the very thought of his tongue being inside her; tasting her….

_God, I'm getting hard just thinking about it._

Sarah was looking at him strangely and he wondered if she didn't believe him.

Then she smiled and said cheekily, 'That explains a lot. Don't worry, you'll get better with some more prac…'

He uttered a loud curse and kissed her hard and fast to shut her up, stifling her laugh by deepening the kiss. Soon, she was kissing him back, pressing herself against him as he held her close and tight.

'Sar, it won't be long, ok?' he said, tearing his lips from hers to press down her neck. 'I want you too badly to wait much longer.'

_The second this fucking bet is over…_

She made a desperate sounding noise in her throat when his teeth scraped over her skin lightly then they heard footsteps.

Pulling apart, they saw Professor Dumbledore heading toward them.

'Ah, Miss Patterson, I see Mr Black has offered to assist you on your rounds tonight,' he said lightly, his blue eyes sparkling in amusement. 'However, since curfew is upon us, I would suggest calling it a night now.'

He looked at Sirius, who was standing very close to Sarah with his hands shoved in his pockets, trying once again to hide his renewed hard on. 'I trust you can make it back to your own Tower unaccompanied, Mr Black?'

Sirius mumbled an affirmative and Dumbledore said goodnight. Sarah let out a giggle and Sirius grinned.

'I think you're rubbing off on me,' she muttered, giving him a playful push. 'I've never been in so much trouble as I have since you've been my…' She stopped and bit her lip.

'Boyfriend?' he finished with a little smirk and she glared at him.

'Shut up, Black,' she muttered, turning away to open the door to the common room. She could feel heat rushing to her cheeks.

_Good one, Sarah. Scare him off._

'Sarah,' he said softly, touching her arm. 'I know we never talked about this but I've not been seeing anyone else since we started dating. I'd…I'd like to be your boyfriend - officially. If you want me to be, that is.'

Sarah let out a breath and turned back to him. 'I do want that,' she told him and was relieved to see the grin on his face.

'Thank God,' he muttered, pretending to wipe his brow. 'I would have had to do something drastic if I was shot down on my first try.' She giggled and he sighed, wishing he could stay with her.

'I should go before he comes back,' he said then cupped her face. 'Night, Sarah.'

'Night,' she murmured, his lips touching hers softly once more before he watched her disappear behind the common room door.

* * *

'So?'

'So what?'

'Paaaaddddssss!' James whined, looking tortured as he stared at Sirius in the bathroom mirror. 'Tell us. We all saw you and Sarah sneaking out of here last night. You can't have had her in your bed twice now and not shagged her. I mean, she's pretty and she's got a great ass and you two are snogging all over the damn place…Unless, of course, you couldn't get it up… what with all the pressure…'

'Fuck off, Prongs,' Sirius mumbled, spitting toothpaste into the sink and rinsing his mouth out. 'We did not have sex and that's all I'm telling you. Your money's safe - for now.'

He hadn't told his friends that he'd decided to throw the bet. Not to save his reputation but to avoid the conversation where he told his friends _why _he was throwing the bet, knowing that he'd be teased mercilessly for doing something so uncharacteristic as falling in love.

_Love. Jesus, why didn't anyone tell me it could happen this fast? Why didn't anyone tell me it felt like this?_

He _was _in love with Sarah. If he hadn't been sure last night, he was this morning after a night of dreaming about her, of wishing she had stayed with him. He wanted to be with her all the time, he couldn't stop thinking about her, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her and to share everything about him with her.

He, Sirius Black, king of the casual fuck, was in love.

And…it felt really good.

'You've still got till the end of the week,' Peter said encouragingly, jolting him from his thoughts. 'The bet doesn't finish until midnight on Friday night, right?'

He looked at James who nodded.

Sirius packed up his toileting supplies, not meeting their eyes. 'It's not all about sex, you know,' he muttered, turning to leave the bathroom.

Peter looked quite disbelieving and followed Sirius out into the bedroom. James looked at Remus, who'd been quiet while he and Peter interrogated Sirius.

'Did Sirius Black just say that 'it's not all about sex'?'

Remus smiled and slid off the vanity he'd been sitting on. 'I believe he did, Prongs,' he said with a grin. 'I think our Padfoot might just be in love.'

James laughed and pulled out his toothbrush. 'And hopefully that will mean that _I_ am ten Galleons richer.'

* * *

'Did you decide if you want to come to my place over the holidays?' he asked on Thursday as they went for a walk around the grounds.

'I owled dad and he said it was fine,' Sarah said then bit her lip. 'I feel bad. I didn't tell him it was a _male_ friend I was staying with…'

'You and your dad are close, huh?' he asked, threading his fingers with hers.

'Yeah,' she said with a smile. 'My mum left when I was pretty small. She…is a Muggle and, well, she could handle a magical husband but a witch for a daughter was too much. I haven't seen her for years so … I guess my dad is all I've got.'

Sirius pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulders. 'Not anymore,' he said, kissing her on the head.

Sarah smiled and slid her arm around him as well.

'I wish I had a good relationship with my mum or dad,' he said as they reached the edge of the lake. 'They're just…too into the pure blood mania. I'm never going to agree with them and they can't stand anyone else having an opinion that differs to theirs.'

'It hurts you, doesn't it?' she said softly. 'As much as you pretend it doesn't or that you're better off without them? They're still your parents.'

He sat down on the ground, pulling her down next to him. 'I guess,' he admitted. There was silence for a minute then…

'I don't understand them. I don't understand how you can just…throw away your own…'

He stopped, biting his lip. 'You're supposed to love your kids unconditionally, aren't you?'

Sarah slid her hand into his and put her head on his shoulder. 'Yes. But some people aren't capable of unconditional love - like your parents; like my mother. That's _their _loss. Not yours.'

She turned her head and kissed his shoulder. 'I'm so sorry, Sirius.'

He sighed, leaning his head against hers. 'I can't change them,' he said. 'But I don't have to be like them. I'll never be like them.'

'No,' she agreed, her voice firm . 'You won't.'

She lifted her head and he smiled at her, feeling a burst inside his chest when he saw the certainty in her face. Sometimes he worried he'd turn out like his parents; that the darkness of the Black family really was inside him and that one day, it'd show itself. But Sarah really believed in him and he found that her confidence helped him believe in himself.

* * *

'Bugger off, Prongs,' Sirius mumbled, waving his hand around his head like he was shooing away a pesky fly.

'Only six more hours, Padfoot,' he said, throwing himself down on the couch next to his friend. 'Six more hours then I'm a rich man.'

'I'm kind of bored with the whole bet thing,' Sirius declared, standing up. 'Don't you think it's time you matured a bit, Prongs?'

James chuckled and looked up at his friend. 'You love her, don't you?'

Sirius frowned but didn't deny it. 'None of your business,' he mumbled.

'Sirius,' James said suddenly, sitting up. 'Tell me to call it off and it's done. Right now. We'll stop it and pretend it never happened.'

'It's fine,' Sirius said with a frown, still unable to back down completely and lose face in front of the others. 'Just never let Sarah find out about it. God, that girl scares me sometimes when she's pissed off…'

'You _do _love her, don't you?' James asked quietly and Sirius reluctantly nodded his head.

James grinned broadly and jumped up, ruffling his friends' hair. 'Oh, the broken hearts when this gets out,' he teased and Sirius looked alarmed.

'You can't tell anyone,' he hissed, looking around in alarm. 'I haven't told Sarah yet.'

James looked offended. 'Course I won't tell anyone,' he insisted. 'What do you think I am?' Sirius smiled and turned to go up to his room.

'Pads,' James said. 'How's it feel?'

Sirius' smile broadened and James saw a contentment; a peace in his face that he'd never seen there before. 'It feels really good.'

* * *

'So, what's so interesting in my room?' he teased much later that night, swinging Sarah's arm a little as he held her hand.

'Your hot room mates,' she retorted, giggling when he growled and bit her neck playfully.

They'd been hanging out in Ravenclaw Tower Common Room, Sirius surprised to discover that Ravenclaw students had the most wicked sense of humour and were nowhere near as uptight as he thought they were but they were walking back to Gryffindor Tower now.

Sarah was a little nervous and Sirius seemed ill at ease also. This was the last night before the bet ended and she was anxious about what was going to happen next. She thought he cared about her but there was still a niggling doubt that this really had been all about the bet and that he was just an incredibly good actor.

_If he doesn't sleep with me tonight; if he refuses again, I'll believe he cares. _

* * *

Sirius was nervous. He was going to tell Sarah he loved her tonight. And he wanted to seal the deal properly. He wanted them to finally take the last step tonight and sleep together. Bugger the bet. Bugger everything. He wanted to be with her; inside her. He wanted to love her; to show her how much he loved her.

He'd threatened his room mates with a slow, excruciatingly painful death if any of them came near that room tonight. There was a lot of complaining from Remus and Peter, who finally decided to spend the night in the Room of Requirement, James convinced Lily to let him sleep in her bed tonight ("In the name of love, Lily!") and Frank agreed to bunk in with one of his Hufflepuff friends rather than listening to Sirius shagging all night.

_God, it's three little words. Why is this so nerve-racking?_

* * *

They walked into his room and she looked around. 'Where is everyone?' she asked, having expected to see some closed curtains not empty beds at this late hour.

'I told them I wanted some privacy tonight,' he said, leading her over to his bed. 'I… I wanted to give you something and I didn't want them hanging over my shoulder. They seem to enjoy ruining nice moments for me.'

She smiled and he tugged on her hand, pulling her down to sit on the bed. He reached over and opened up the drawer on his side table, pulling out a rose and a small wrapped box. He handed her the rose, his heart leaping when he saw her smile and raise it to her nose.

'I've never had a girlfriend before,' he told her, wondering if he'd completely embarrass himself by throwing up as it felt like he would. 'So I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do but I wanted to get you something. Something that…shows everyone that you are … mine.'

He wasn't sure if she'd be happy or insulted by his possessiveness and quickly glanced at her face as he handed her the box.

'I didn't agree to be your girlfriend for the gifts. You didn't have to get me anything, Sirius,' she said softly and he smiled, relieved she hadn't thrown the box back at him.

'Well, it's too late now,' he said, handing her the little box that contained most of his allowance for the month. He'd ordered it from Diagon Alley a couple of days ago, paying extra to get it done quickly.

_I'll be living off baked beans but it'll be worth it if she loves me back._

Sarah unwrapped the box carefully, making Sirius fidget in impatience. She pulled the lid off and he held his breath.

'Is that Canis Major?' she asked, taking out the delicate gold chain and the flat gold disc that had a constellation engraved on it, a tiny diamond representing each star. She touched the speck of a diamond she knew from Astronomy class was Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

'Yeah,' he said softly, eyes fixed on her face. Her expression was unreadable right now though. 'There's an inscription on…on the back.'

He tried to clear his suddenly dry throat, realising he was sweating a little.

_Shit. This love business is stressful._

Sarah turned over the disc and stopped breathing when she read the words, 'I love you' etched into the gold. She turned wide eyes up to Sirius' face and saw the vulnerability in his grey orbs.

'Really?' she whispered and he nodded.

'Really,' he said, hating how his voice was shaking. 'I…I love you, Sarah.'

She stared at him for several long seconds that felt like hours to an anxious Sirius.

Then, she smiled the most glorious smile he'd ever seen before.

'I love you too.'


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks all for your gorgeous reviews! Hope you enjoy this second last chapter.**

**WARNING: I promised sex and I deliver. Enjoy as much as they do! :-)**

**One Hundred and Fifty Reviews in Seventeen days! I don't know if that's good for anyone else, but that's great for me. People just don't seem to love OC's like I do! **

**You know...if everyone who is actually reading this fic (and I know you are reading - I check my stats!) reviews, I could make it to two hundred by the end of the final chappie tomorrow! Please! Make my dying wish come true! (Ok, so I'm not _actually_ dying but...well, in a way we're ALL dying, aren't we?) :-)**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

The Winner?

Sirius' cursed his shaking hands as he tried to close the clasp of the necklace around Sarah's neck. Finally, he did it and saw her touch it gently.

'It's beautiful, Sirius,' she said softly then looked up at him. 'But you didn't have to get me anything.'

'I wanted to,' he told her then raised his hand to her head, stroking her hair away from her face. He hesitated then leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly to hers.

They kissed slowly, letting it grow naturally, until their breathing came faster and their slow pace became more urgent. Sirius guided her back onto the bed, shifting so he was lying across her body. Their mouths moved with growing need and Sirius' hands untangled themselves from her hair and quickly unbuttoned her shirt. Sarah ripped her lips away from his with a regretful moan and pulled the shirt off hurriedly.

Their hands moved fast, stripping their clothes away until only their underwear remained. Sirius' hands moved up the outside of her legs, gripping her hips and pulling her closer as he fell with her back onto the bed. His hands continued their northerly passage as their lips met again, tongues sweeping the recesses of each other's mouths as his palms covered her breasts, rubbing back and forth over her budding nipples. With a groan, Sarah pushed at his chest, rolling him over his back then straddled his hips. Sirius groaned when he felt her damp, hot sex through her knickers, pressing down on his aching member.

'Sarah,' he began but she kissed him fast, swallowing his words.

Her mouth almost savaged his, his own need growing as he responded in kind, then she moved to suck the skin on his neck hard into her mouth, marking him. He growled as the slight discomfort only heightened his desire and suddenly, he became concerned that this was moving too fast; that he wouldn't last. Then Sarah's tongue flicked at his nipples and all rational thought deserted him for long moments as her mouth moved over his ribs, his stomach. She yanked his underwear down to his knees and took hold of his cock, stroking her tongue firmly up the pulsing vein on the underside, then circled it around the smooth, soft head.

'Fuck!' he yelped then grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up and flipping them over with surprising ease.

'No. Not tonight,' he told her, nibbling at the delicate chord of her neck. 'I'm ready, Sarah. I want us to be together.'

* * *

Sarah froze, not sure she understood him.

_He wants to have sex? He wants to win the bet?_

He felt her tense and lifted his head, looking down at her with a frown. 'Are you ok?' he asked, seeing the indecision in her face. 'Sar? We don't have to if you don't want to. I can wait…I just thought it was time.'

Sarah didn't know what she wanted.

_He wouldn't have told me he loved me if he was just trying to win a bet…would he? _

But it could hardly be a coincidence, could it? That he was suddenly ready on the last night of the bet? The last night before he'd have to hand over ten Galleons?

Her chest hurt and she pushed him off her, sitting up. 'Sarah?' he asked, concerned by the pained expression on her face. 'What is it? Are you hurt?'

'I, um, just need…some water,' she stuttered and he nodded, getting up and pulling his boxers on.

'I'll grab you a glass,' he said quickly, moving into the bathroom.

When he disappeared, Sarah put her hands over her face. She wanted to be with him - so badly - but….

_Has he been playing with me? Having a good laugh with his friends as he strings me along? Do I even care anymore?_

He came back with a glass of water and gave it to her, hand rising to stroke her hair. 'Sweetheart, do you want me to get the nurse?' he asked but she shook her head, taking a long drink.

She didn't know what was going on tonight, whether this was real or all about the bet. All she knew was that she loved Sirius and, if he was trying to win the bet; if he was going to dump her tomorrow…then this was a damn good way to say goodbye. She didn't care if he won the bet or not anymore. Her heart hurt and she just wanted him to take the ache away.

'I'm fine,' she said, smiling at him, her decision made -- for better or worse.

She put the water down and turned back to him. 'I want to be with you,' she told him.

He looked uncertain so she moved, straddling his lap and putting her arms around him.

'Sar…' he began but she shook her head and put a hand over his mouth.

'I want to,' she insisted then shifted her hand and lowered her head to kiss him.

* * *

She didn't waste any time, deepening the lip lock immediately and feeling him respond just as quickly. His hands slid down over her ass and he pulled her hips closer to his. Twisting, they fell onto the bed, Sirius over Sarah. His mouth moved down her throat and Sarah's eyes fluttered shut as she tried to let what his mouth was doing block out her thoughts. She let out a gasp as his mouth closed over her nipple, biting lightly. Sirius moaned as well, pressing his mouth firmly to her breast.

'You smell so good, Sar,' he said softly, sliding a hand up her thigh. 'You drive me crazy.'

Her hips rose to meet his hand and he slid a finger inside her, groaning a little in relief when he realised she was ready for him. He was so far gone already that he didn't know how good this was going to be for her, ready or not.

_She might be ready, but I want her to combust._

His finger found her clit and circled firmly, feeling her hips jolt. His teeth gently nibbled over the curve of her hip, then shifted to bite lightly up her inner thigh. Sarah's hand moved into his hair and he knew from the tension in her body that she was very close. He pressed his face into her sex, his tongue sneaking between his lips to flick at her clit. She almost leapt off the bed, shaking violently. A few more flicks and she was whimpering and he couldn't wait any longer.

'I want to be inside you,' he said, kissing her breast then her throat.

'Please,' she whispered and he smiled, the anticipation almost doing him in.

'Sar…you've done this before?' he double checked, needing to know how gentle he had to be so he could try and reign himself in if he needed to.

'Yeah,' she breathed, opening her eyes and seeing him looming over her. 'Do you want names?'

'God, no,' he muttered, kissing her nose. 'I don't want you saying another guy's name while you're in bed with me.'

He kissed her lips. 'Are you sure?' he asked and she nodded.

He reached for his wand and cast a Contraceptive spell then tossed the thin stick somewhere behind him.

He leaned over and kissed her with trembling lips, surprised and a little embarrassed by how nervous he was. Sarah's arms came around him, pulling him close and he felt the tip of his cock nudging the entrance to her body. Her backside lifted off the bed a little, encouraging him, and he flexed his hips, the head of his cock sliding inside her.

Their lips stilled: touching but not kissing as he slowly, inch by inch, slid into her tight, slick passage. Eyes fixed on each other, Sirius heard her moan and echoed it as she took him - every single part of her soft body hugging his. They fit together perfectly -- as if they'd been made for each other.

Once he was fully encased in her, he kissed her again slowly, their lips matching the pace their hips now set as he slid slowly inside her then withdrew only to plunge home once again. Sarah's legs wrapped around him and his hand slid down, cupping her ass, lifting her as, all too soon, their slow, steady rhythm became erratic, mouths moving faster. Suddenly, Sarah bit his lip, arching up with a cry, and he felt her body start to pulse around his cock, squeezing and pulling at him as she surrendered. He felt the burn of his own orgasm begin and he called out her name, burying his face in her neck as his own release hit him hard.

* * *

It took long minutes for their breathing to slow and their sweat slicked bodies began to cool. Sirius shifted to lie next to her, tugging a sheet up over them as they found a comfortable position in the narrow bed.

'That was incredible,' he murmured in her ear and she mumbled an agreement, loving the way he fit against her curves.

They lay still for the longest time, Sirius' hand stroking light patterns on her arm, his chest pressed against her back. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Sex had never been like that before, never been so…tender but passionate before. It had never felt right before.

'I should go,' she said eventually but he put his arms around her, shaking his head.

'Stay,' he said softly, kissing her shoulder blade. 'It's far too late to be wandering around.'

She saw the sense in his argument but didn't know whether she'd be able to spend the night in his arms - knowing it could all be over tomorrow. It was going to be hard enough to walk away after what they'd just done together -- she'd never felt anything so glorious in her life as the feel of him inside her, his lips on hers…

_I was right. He's going to break my heart._

'Sar?' he asked and she nodded, giving in against her better judgement.

'I'll stay,' she said and felt him smile against her skin.

'You're really quiet,' he said against her shoulder. 'Are you ok? I didn't hurt you or rush you, did I? I wanted it to be special, Sar…'

'It was,' she assured him, turning her head to smile gently at him. 'You want me to stroke your ego?'

He returned the smile. 'No,' he retorted then his smile widened. 'Well, maybe just a little. I just…I really wanted it to be good for you but I feel like I rushed…'

'Hey,' she said softly, touching his face. 'It was amazing, Sirius. Ok? You didn't rush me or hurt me. So stop worrying.'

'Ok,' he said, mollified by her assurance. He settled back against her.

'Night, sweetheart,' he whispered, kissing the back of her neck lightly and she melted in his arms, even as tears rose in her eyes.

'Night,' she murmured.

She felt him falling asleep, his breathing evening out but she lay awake for a very long time.

* * *

She must have drifted off at some point because she woke up to the sound of hushed voices. Sirius hadn't bothered casting a Silencing Spell last night, knowing they were going to be alone. Laying still with Sirius' arm over her hips, she was wondering how she was going to get out of here unseen when she overheard her name.

'…with Sarah?'

'Probably,' she heard James whisper. 'I'm not going to check. He'd kill me if we interrupted them shagging.'

There was a snort of laughter then Peter said softly, 'So, have you got your Galleons ready, Prongs?'

James said, 'If he's got the proof, I'll hand it over. He'll have earned it…she gave him a run for his money.'

Sarah couldn't stand listening to them any longer and slipped carefully out of bed, dressing fast. Three of Sirius' four room mates were dressing, James standing up straight in his boxers when he saw her, Peter yelping and hiding behind a curtain while Remus quickly yanked his shirt on.

'Um, morning,' James said, looking at the others quickly then once he realised he was half dressed, he grabbed a pillow and held it in front of his boxers.

'What proof do you need?' she asked and saw all three faces blanch.

'What…?' Remus began but she interrupted.

'I've known about the bet since before our first date,' she said softly, but they heard the hurt in her voice. 'I was dating him to…try and get revenge; to make sure he couldn't win.'

She bit her lip. 'Guess the joke's on me,' she continued with a weak smile. 'Cause I fell for him. He won. Now, what other proof was needed?'

Her eyes bored into James' and he found himself saying, 'Your knickers.'

She frowned then nodded. She reached under her skirt and tugged them down, seeing the boys avert their eyes as she kicked them off.

'Proof enough?' she asked then, without waiting for their answer, she walked over to the door. 'Oh!'

She stopped and undid her necklace, handing it to the closest boy, Remus. 'He didn't put my name on it, so he can give it to his next conquest,' she said, seeing Remus read the inscription. 'Hope it works as successfully on them as it did on me.'

She turned and left the room, hoping she got to her own bedroom before she burst into tears.


	19. Chapter 19

**LAST CHAPTER!**

**_I'm so sorry to see this end because I loved writing it. Thanks to all who've reviewed and put this on their favourites and alert lists. To all those who've read and not chosen to review, I'd love it if you'd leave a quick note just to let me know how you liked it._**

**_Special thanks to _Triskelesque _(check out her fics - she's awesome!) who was my inspiration for writing this fic. Thanks, darlin' for making me fall in love with Sirius as well as Remus (my poor husband - I don't know if there's any room left in my heart for him...) Cheers all!_**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

The Technicality

'Pads!' Remus said urgently. 'Padfoot!'

He shook the sleeping boy hard and he jerked awake.

'What?' he said quickly, sitting up. He realised Sarah was gone and frowned. 'Where's Sarah?'

'She's gone,' Remus said then James interrupted.

'Did you tell her about the bet?' he asked and Sirius looked surprised.

'No,' he said, then saw their worried faces. 'Why?'

'She knew, Pads,' Remus said softly. 'She said she'd known all along and…'

He pointed to the knickers still on the floor. 'She took them off as proof you'd slept together and gave me this. She told us you'd won the bet.'

He handed Sirius the necklace and saw the dark haired boy's face go pale as went on to tell him exactly what Sarah had said when she gave it to him.

'She knew?' he whispered and Remus nodded. 'But…'

He looked up at the others then jumped out of bed, oblivious to the others wincing at his nakedness. 'Where'd she go?' he demanded, grabbing clothes off the floor. 'How long ago..?'

'She just left,' Peter said, throwing Sirius the shirt he'd missed.

'It wasn't like that,' he muttered, pulling his pants on. 'I threw the bet. I told her I loved her…'

'You did?' Peter said, eyes wide but James spoke over him.

'Pads, she said you won; that you'd slept together last night,' he said and Sirius looked up in exasperation.

'We did but I _didn't _win. I checked the time before we got here,' he said, pulling his shirt over his head. 'It was already after midnight. The deadline had passed - that was the only reason I went through with it. I lost, Prongs.'

He went to his trunk and pulled out a small sack. 'Here,' he said, throwing the money at the surprised boy. 'Now, give me your Invisibility Cloak and if any of you touched her knickers, I swear I will hex you into next week.'

* * *

Sirius crept up to Ravenclaw Tower, waiting impatiently outside for someone to come out so he could sneak into the common room.

_Bloody hell. Could this have gone more wrong?_

He'd never wanted Sarah to find out about the bet but now… she'd known about it all along.

_So why did she go out with me?_

But even as he wondered, he realised why.

_She was scamming me. She was pretending to be interested so she could make sure I lost._

For a moment, he was angry. Had she been pretending all this time? Even last night when she told him she loved him? His anger faded though, when he recalled that smile on her face before she told him she loved him too. She wasn't a liar. She loved him. He knew it.

_Now I've just got to convince her that I love her just as much._

He turned the necklace over in his hand, thumb rubbing over the inscription on the back. Did she really think he could give this to anyone else? He frowned then pulled his wand from his pocket, pointing it at the words he'd engraved on the back himself. Carefully, he cast a spell then shoved both the necklace and his wand back in his pocket when he saw the door to the common room swing open. Three younger kids stepped out, chattering too intently to notice that the door didn't shut after them.

Sirius slipped inside then stood out of the way, looking around the room but not seeing Sarah anywhere. He waited for half an hour, a steady stream of Ravenclaw students flowing out the door. He was just starting to think she might have left for home already and was going to go and beg someone for her address, when he saw her friend, Kate coming down the stairs.

Taking a chance, he pulled off the cloak, making the girl jump as he revealed himself. 'God!' she yelped, putting her hand to her chest and glaring at him. 'You scared the hell out of me!'

She seemed to realise who she was talking to and put her hands on her hips. 'You'd better get out of here. She doesn't want to see you and I don't blame her.'

'She told you about the bet?' he asked and she nodded.

'You're such a pig, Sirius. You know, she thought you really cared about her but it was all just a game,' she spat contemputously and put her hand out to open the door.

'No,' he said quickly. 'Kate, it's not what she thinks. I threw the bet. What happened last night didn't count - the deadline had passed. Please. I have to tell her. I…I love her, Kate.'

Her face softened in the face of his agitation and she sighed. 'If she asks, I didn't tell you that the password for the stairs is 'Abstinence',' she said then turned back to the door. 'She's alone up there. _Crying_. Good luck, Black - you'll need it.'

He quickly moved to the stairs and mumbled the password then stepped carefully onto the first step. When it didn't collapse under him, he quickly followed the spiral staircase until he found the door marked 'Seventh Years'. He took a deep breath.

_I am a Gryffindor. I am strong and brave. I will not be scared of a woman._

It was no use. He was terrified.

* * *

He pushed the door open silently, seeing Sarah sitting on her bed, staring out the window, her eyes unfocused and, damn it, red rimmed. She didn't seem to notice him and he crept closer.

'Sarah,' he said softly and she jumped, her head snapping around to look at him.

'How…?' she asked but he shook his head.

'Sarah, I know I did the wrong thing but…please, just give me a chance to explain about the bet.'

'I know about the bet,' she said in a dull voice as she turned away from him.

'No,' he insisted, talking quickly. 'No, you don't. Alright, this _did _start as a bet. I originally asked you to Hogsmeade and chased you because James and I made a bet I couldn't get you to sleep with me. This all started because I'm an arrogant prick who treats girls like crap and they wanted to teach me a lesson. But the last thing I ever wanted to do, Sar, was hurt you. You were never supposed to know…'

'And what I don't know, won't hurt, right?' she spat, suddenly firing up and standing to face him. 'What you and James did was demeaning and hurtful and humiliating but do you know what? What I did was worse because I allowed you to do this to me. I wanted your attention so badly that I didn't care that you were using me. I didn't want to see past the pretty words and sweet gestures…I wanted to believe you really loved me. God, I was such an idiot to believe that I could be different, that you might really care…'

'I DO really care!' he said loudly, grabbing her shoulders. 'Christ, Sarah! I have _never _worked so hard with a girl as I have with you. With anyone else, I would have just given up and moved onto a more willing bird, but I kept trying because I loved spending time with you. I loved that you didn't put up with my shit. I loved that you gave back as good as I gave out. This might have started out as a bet but I stopped thinking of this like that a long time ago.'

'But you couldn't resist, could you?' she snapped, pulling out of his grasp. 'You couldn't stand the thought you'd lose and that it might dent your precious bloody reputation so you made sure you got me into bed before it was too late.'

'I THREW THE FUCKING BET!' he yelled, losing his temper as he tried to make her understand.

'MY ASS, YOU DID!' she yelled back, surprising him. 'Was what happened last night so forgettable for you? We screwed, Sirius! You win. CONGRATU-FUCK-ULATIONS!'

'It was _after _midnight!' he ground out loudly. 'The bet was over at twelve o'clock. I didn't want us to do anything until then…that's why I didn't want to go to my room; why I wanted to come to your common room and stayed here so long. I didn't want the temptation of being alone with you and messing it all up.'

Her mouth opened then closed again. She looked uncertain now and he pressed his advantage. 'God, Sar. Do you have _any _idea how hard it was to keep my hands off of you for the last couple of months? Every time we got close, I felt so fucking guilty. I didn't want to win, Sarah. I wanted you.'

Sarah was frowning and bit her lip as she sank back down onto the bed, desperately wanting to believe him.

'Sarah,' he said, pulling out the necklace. 'Please take it back. I…I bought it for you. I've never given a girl anything before. I…I've never been in love before.'

She shook her head, tears rising in her eyes, and he felt more scared than he could ever remember being.

_I might not be able to talk myself out of it this time. God, I might really lose her._

This realisation made him decide that she was worth throwing aside every thing he'd been taught a Black stood for -- pride, superiority, class -- and he fell to his knees in front of her, holding out the necklace.

'I'll beg,' he whispered, staring directly into her eyes. 'I'll plead. I'll do anything you want, Sarah. Please forgive me. Please believe me.'

Her lip trembled and he gave it one final push. 'Look at it, Sar. Please, look at it.'

He pressed the necklace into her hand and she looked down at it. The constellation was the same but when she turned it over, she saw that he'd added to it. It now read,_ 'I love you, Sarah_.'

'I don't want you to ever think that this could be someone else's,' he said softly. 'This is yours, sweetheart. I'm yours. If you want me.'

She had the most adorable pout when she cried, but no matter how adorable it was, he never wanted to see it again. He couldn't stand knowing he'd upset her and he vowed to himself that if she took him back, he would never be the one to make her cry again.

'I want you,' she whispered, a little sob escaping. 'I love you.'

He scrambled to his feet and, cupping her face, he kissed her hard and fast. 'I'm sorry,' he mumbled against her lips. 'I'm sorry.'

He kept repeating his apology as he kissed her over and over until she crushed her lips to his and kissed him long and deep, falling back onto the bed. Desire quickly flared and Sirius was startled that her hands were the first to tear at their clothing. Grabbing his wand as his jeans came off, he waved it, closing the curtains and casting a Silencing spell. Then he threw it, Merlin knows where, and lost himself in the taste of her.

As the rest of their clothing was stripped away, he groaned, hands running up her legs then rising to cup her breasts.

'Fuck, you are hot,' he muttered and she grinned cheekily, pushing him off her.

'If I didn't think you had a big enough ego already, I'd tell you that you are a God,' she said, throwing a leg over him and rubbing her slick sex over his cock as her hands slid over his toned chest.

'Even a God has limited self control, honey,' he growled then let out a cry as she took him inside her with one long, deep stroke.

She grinned at his reaction and started to move, hard and fast. Sirius pushed himself up and grabbed her around the hips as he kissed her frantically, wanting all of her; wanting her to have all of him. As they drove each other to the edge, he grasped her face, staring into her eyes.

'I love you,' he whispered desperately. 'I love you, Sar.'

'I…' she gasped, her release hitting her. 'God, love…you…love…you.'

He fell as well, kissing her so deeply; inside her so deeply that he couldn't tell where he ended and she began.

As the spasms and pulsing of their bodies tapered off, they dropped back, breathless, and draped over each other.

'So, I should take that as a yes? You forgive me?' he panted a minute later.

'You are such an ass,' she mumbled and kissed his chest, hearing him chuckle.

'Sorry you lost your money,' she said softly and he looked at her, taking her face in his hands.

'I'm not,' he said with a smile. 'I got something much better.'

She kissed him then giggled. 'You are _so_ corny,' she teased. 'I'm surprised you _ever_ got laid with those lines.'

Sirius pinched her on the ass lightly before joining in her laughter, feeling, for the first time, completely happy.

_Maybe this love business isn't so bad after all._

**_A/N: Fin._**

**_Please review!! Come on, it's the last time I ask in this story, I swear! :-)_**


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